Guys and Dolls
by Talks too much
Summary: Miley Stewart? The snarky girl who's holding a secret. Nick Lucas? Tall, dark, and handsome. Oh, and not to mention...taken. What happens when fate draws these two together? Niley!
1. Chapter 1

Miley flipped the piece of gum throughout the walls of her mouth. Her restless eyes scanned the room as the "teacher" talked through the daily announcement. He had his glasses propped on his long nose and his caterpillar like mustache leaching under his bird beak. She rolled her eyes. Her time could be better spent else where. She glanced over at Lily who had her backpack perched on her a lap and a phone in her hands.

Her fingers flew over the Motorola keyboard and she gave her best friend a secret glance. Miley nodded and subtly grabbed her bag. She took a peak at her drama teacher who was still engrossed in his speech. She slightly opened her bag and grabbed his cellphone to see what was on the glowing screen.

_Snorefest._

Miley felt her stomach rumble with a giggle. She made sure to keep her laughter to as much of a minimum as possible. After all, she didn't want to unnecessarily fail this class. She was a second semester senior and she was almost out of this place.

_I know, right?_ She let her fingers glide across the keyboard.

"Miley?" she heard her name being pronounced by the adult male. She quickly shifted her attention to the front of the classroom.

"Yup?" she popped the letters as she chewed her gum. The whole class turned towards her as the teacher brought the attention onto the brunette.

"Would you mind telling me what I was saying about the monologues?" he asked, crossing his arms. She shifted uncomfortably and bit her lip. She felt her phone vibrate and she cursed how silent the classroom was right now.

"Phone please," the teacher beckoned. He gave her a sigh as she trudged towards him, handing over her precious blackberry. "And throw out the gum while you're at it." His highness flipped open her phone and raised his eyebrows. "Well, Miss Lily," he directed his attention towards the blonde. "If you think I'm this boring, you wouldn't mind giving me your phone. To you know, spice things up," he joked.

Miley giggled in the background as Lily shot her a glare from across the room. Her best friend got up and handed over her respective phone while Miley went to spit out her gum.

The brunette slowly rounded back, catching a glimpse of the boy in the corner. A boy who had a small smirk plastered on his face. He glanced at her for a second and flickered his eyes back to the front of the room.

"Oh, and by the way Miley?" the teacher prodded on once she took her seat.

"Yes?" she let a little attitude show, but that didn't deter his next remark.

"I wasn't even talking about monologues." He smirked and addressed the rest of the class. "The play is coming up so if anyone wants to try out these scene assignments are good prep work," he clapped his hands and everyone around Miley started to bustle towards the front. There were folders full of scenes and people were aching to just finish off the project and relax in the class.

It took a matter of seconds until Lily was propped right next to her best friend.

"Hey," the girl bubbled. Miley giggled and leaned back in her chair.

"What was in that text?" the curiosity overwhelmed her. Her companion laughed and trailed her eyes to the two cellphones that were sitting on the teacher's desk.

"I said Mr. Platt had a big belly of boredom," Lily blushed. She flopped her hands on her cheek and shook her head. "I can't believe he saw that. I sent the text right before he called out your name."

"What kind of text is that?" Miley doubled over in laughter.

"I was alliterating, duh," Lily responded. She rolled her eyes as Miley grinned at her. "Don't say another word," she pointed her finger at the brunette. Miley swung her finger to her lip and zipped her mouth shut. "Creeper much?" Lil ynodded over at the boy Miley had seen before. He was reading his own play in the corner.

"What about it?" Miley chuckled.

"So, dark and gloomy and-"

"Mysterious?" she supplied. Lily nodded and shrugged, quickly thinking of ways to change the subject.

"Girls," Mr. Platt sounded off. Miley and Lily turned around, instantly knowing he was talking them. He raised his eyebrows and looked pointedly at the scripts that were scattered in the front of the room. "Have you picked out a scene yet?"

"We were just talking about that," Miley quickly responded, beaming at him. She rushed and picked up a random script. Really, this project wasn't even that big of a deal. Miley groaned as she sat next to Emily.

"Hey, at least he isn't making us do those musicals like last semester. You had to lip synch to a Lady Gaga song," she joked. "Papa-papa razzzi," Lily screeched out. Miley gave her a glare and doubled over laughing.

"Don't remind me," Miley muttered under her breath. The two earned a glare from the teacher for their laughter and busied themselves with their script.

"What do you think about the play?" Lily motioned towards the board. The words "Guys and Dolls" was written in cursive on the white board.

"Yeah, not happening," she replied, rolling her eyes.

"I thought so," her friend laughed. They took a look at the script before Miley started to burst out laughing, making a loud echo throughout the room. She had caught the funniest thing on the script.

"Miss Stewart," Mr. Platt sounded annoyed. He buried his head down into his hand and looked frustratingly at Miley. "See me after class."

"But, I was laughing at-" Miley was unable to finish off her sentence.

"See me after class," he growled at her. She winced at his frown and Lily sent her a sorry look. Miley looked around as everyone was staring at the recent interaction. "There's nothing to see, people. Keep working," he mumbled, getting back to his papers.

"Let's get back to this," Lily whispered, bringing Miley out of her trance. She handed Miley her copy of the script and the two read over their lines. Miley internally groaned. It was her senior year. She didn't need a drama teacher to be on her back all the time. Before she realized it, she heard the school bell ring and everyone bustled out of their chairs.

"Miley," Mr. Platt beckoned her closer. She reached for her bag and slung it over one shoulder and walked to the desk.

"Yeah," she said nonchalantly. She really didn't care what he had to say. She had senioritis. And she was sticking to that.

"You've been a huge disruption today," he sad with disappointment. Miley inadvertently rolled her eyes, worsening his mood. "You think this isn't serious?" he asked.

"To be honest. Not really. Its just an elective," Miley responded. She wanted to get out of here fast. Lunch was calling her name and she didn't want to be rude to the pizza she had packed in the morning.

"Look, Miss Stewart-," he started, but Miley was getting impatient and was just about ready to go.

"Okay, I'm sorry. Can I please go now," she begged. His eyebrows raised even higher at her behavior. Was she trying to get herself in a whole mess of trouble?

"No you can't," he said it as though it was the most obvious thing in the world. Miley's heart stopped at his tone. He had something up his sleeve.

"Was there something else you wanted to talk to me about?" she asked slowly, tilting her head a little in the process.

"Yes, I think it would be a good idea if you served my detention helping me out with the set for the play." It wasn't even said like an "I think" statement. It was said as though she didn't have a choice.

"But-" she was cut off again.

"Look, you were disrespectful. And this will help pull up your grade in this class right now. The set needs to be finished before the auditions start," with that final word he turned towards his work, leaving an annoyed Miley. Little did she know, this was the type of opportunity that just might open doors for her.

**A/N I'm kind of just done w/ Circus right now. Just because I really don't feel inspired to write it. I'll write it on the side and finish it or whatever...but this is the new story I've been working on. Miley's this rebellious, snarky person. And Nick is this enigma. Its a pretty realistic story...for the story line I have right now. Its high school drama sort of thing. I hope you like it. I have like 5 chapters of it written out. This is probably going to be last story....and I just decided to post it today.**


	2. Chapter 2

Miley dragged her feet into the auditorium. It was a blazing Saturday afternoon. The kind where the air trembles with freedom. And she was stuck painting wooden boxes. She was dressed in her old ragged up jeans and white v neck- just in case paint splattered all over her during the day.

She reached the theater stage and saw Mr. Platt gazing at the platforms that were already set up. He caught a sense that someone was behind him and turned towards the brunette.

"Hello, Miley," he brought a hint of cheeriness in his voice. She absentmindedly nodded at him and descended the auditorium stairs. "You came at the perfect time." Miley sarcastically looked around, trying to add an air of defiance around her. "They're all coming in...in like a couple of minutes," he furrowed his eyebrows at the clock.

"So," Miley tried to break the awkward silence between them. "Any other fellow detentioners?" Mr. Platt chuckled and shook his head, adding to the boiling anger at the pit of Miley's stomach. "So, I'm the only one who has a detention today?" she asked incredulously.

"Well, I thought you were the only one who would benefit from this," he simply stated. He made his way around the stage and began moving the makeshift walls into the places he wanted them in.

Miley scampered her eyes around the auditorium. There was nothing really to do so she went back outside to breathe some fresh air before soaking herself in paint fumes for the rest of the day.

"Demi," she heard a voice snap. Miley's ears perked up and she hid herself beside a banister as she saw two girls making their way up the stairs to get to the entrance of the auditorium.

"He just wants you to open up to him, Sel," another voice retorted. Miley could now make out the figure's faces.

The first girl , who had spoken up, had a slightly round, clear face. Her thin eyebrows were arched perfectly over her chocolate brown eyes. Her hair perfectly curled around the outline of her face. She was strikingly beautiful with every ounce of perfection spotting up her face. She glared over at her friend. "Well, he should stop complaining, Demi" she snapped.

The second girl sighed, leveling her face down a bit so Miley could get a clear view of her features. She had lighter, brown hair that waved past her shoulders, which were hunched over with suppression. Her face was quite familiar and it lingered at the back of Miley's head, but she couldn't quite figure out where she had seen her before.

"Whatever you say, Selena," the girl automatically responded, as though she had rehearsed that statement over and over again. The two girls let their boots plod across the cement as they reached for the door. Before they disappeared inside, Demi shot a quick glance over her should as though she knew someone was there. Her eyes darted around and landed on Miley's slightly hidden face. She whipped her head around and followed Selena.

Miley took a deep intake of breath. She shuddered as she realized how spooky the incident that occurred was. How did Demi even know she was there? As if on cue her phone vibrated. She slipped it out of her pocket and smiled as she read a text from Lily.

_How's the detention going?_ She could automatically sense that Lily was laughing when she texted her. Why do friends find humor in your misery?

_Bitch, its going fine =P _ Miley smirked. She had known Lily for what seemed like forever. And the two felt so comfortable in their friendship.

Her head shot up as she heard a group of people pass by her. They were all giggling amongst themselves as they entered in the auditorium. She finally decided that now would probably be a good time to get back to Mr. Platt. She slipped her phone back and jogged into the theater, finding everyone already sitting down in the audience seats. Mr. Platt was at the very front of the theater in the midst of a speech.

"Nice of you to join us, Miss Stewart," he smirked, signaling her to sit in the front row. Miley could feel everyone's hard gaze turning towards her as she made her way down to get to the seat he had pointed at. She politely smiled at him and took her seat.

"Okay, for the rest of you. The Guys and Dolls set is going to take a week and a half to complete. Since you guys are helping out, you get a bit more priority during auditions," he smiled at the crowd of students. "I want the background painted today," he ordered. He gave Demi a nod and she got up, taking a group of students along with her.

"Wait!" Miley heard Selena's crisp voice cut through the air. On cue, everyone in the theater stopped and directed their attention towards her. She nodded towards Mr. Platt and took center change, demanding ever ounce of attention present in the room.

"We all know that our wonderful teacher, Mr. Platt, has been working super hard on this play," she smiled sweetly at him. "And I just want to give him a round of applause," she said clapping her hands in robotic fashion. She stood their prim and proper, wrapped around an air of elegance, and Miley could sense a layer of deception that circled around her. There was something utterly fake about her and Miley didn't like it at all.

Selena prodded her high heeled boots across the stage and disappeared into the prop room. Everyone bustled into their places and picked up the appropriate paint sets that they had been directed to. Miley was the only one that was completely clueless as to what to do.

She felt something shadowing her from the back and titled her head around to see the same boy she had seen in drama class. He was leaning on a wall, perched in all his glory. His eyes burned straight through hers and she could feel the intensity of his gaze. Something broke the instant connection- Mr. Platt's annoying voice.

"Mr. Lucas," he yelled from the end of the stage.

"Its Nick," the boy smiled. It was the first time Miley had every really seen him smile. Well, it was really the first week she had known him since the semester schedule had been put in place, but she had never seen him smile in class. He was always frowning or smirking.

He dropped down the stairs and passed Miley as he reached Mr. Platt. The two engaged in a private conversation and went off into the side.

To say Miley was not the least bit curious about this guy would be an understatement. He left her with a waft of curiosity. She felt the need to prod into his life and find out more about him as though he was some kind of hidden treasure in the wooden chest of high school.

"Are you going to work or not." Miley was snapped out of her trance as she heard Demi's voice enter her thoughts. She looked up to see the girl, frustratingly crossing her arms.

"Yeah, I just didn't know what to do," Miley admitted. She let her voice softly out and Demi's stony facial expression softened.

"Oh, you're painting that top corner over there," Demi signaled towards stage right. Miley nodded and picked herself up. They both walked towards the paint room. Demi handed her over a small brush and a can of black paint. "So, Platt told me this is your detention," she tried to make conversation.

"Yeah," Miley groaned, picking up the paint and trudging toward her spot. She pressed her brush in and painted a blob of paint on the white wall.

"What happened?" Demi chuckled. She picked up the same procedure and dipped her brush in.

"I was laughing too loudly in class," Miley giggled. For some reason, the conversation between Demi came naturally and the two had something that clicked.

"Trust me I have a louder laugh," Demi retorted, letting her stomach rumble from laughter. She saw Miley's eyes switch gears and travel towards the side stage where Nick was talking to Mr. Platt. "Have you met him?" she wondered out loud.

"Huh?" Miley acted confused. The last thing she wanted Demi to know was that she had a minor crush on a guy she barely knew.

"Nick. He's like the theater hunk, basically," Demi rolled her eyes. "He's shy outside of theater but he's a cool guy once you get to know him though."

"Oh, I wasn't looking at him," Miley tried to cover up her actions. Demi gave her a knowing look and shook her head.

"Trust me. You do not want to go there," she said with a sigh. Miley's forehead scrunched up as she tilted her head, prodding Demi to go on.

"What do you mean?" But her question was well answered when out of the corner of her eyes, she saw Nick's hand latch onto a soft feminine finger. It was then that she knew she was slightly in too deep- her heart had dropped down a couple of notches.

**A/N Thank you guys for your support with the story alerts and favorites and all those reviews. Honestly, I wasn't expecting so many. Especially because I didn't even announce I was putting this story up...haha. But yeah, I think I replied to everyone..I tried to. For all the anonymous reviewers, thank you. Keep checking for updates, don't rely on my twitter to post a link or anything like that. My goal for this story, in anything, is to gain support and not lose it. I wouldn't have minded starting out with one review....but just improving for the next chapter. I have the next three chapters written out, so I can update fast...but it all depends on your guys' reactions!**


	3. Chapter 3

"So how was your theater escapade?" Lily giggled, munching on her lunch. She grabbed a hold of the cheeseburger and bit into it.

"Um, it was...." Miley tried to find the right words but she groaned in the process. "So you know the guy in theater, right?"

"Tall, dark, and handsome? Yeah, what about him," Lily grinned, already knowing her friends response. Miley arched her eyebrows and rolled her eyes, letting her fingers play with the food that she hadn't touched in a whole ten minutes.

"I think I might hypothetically like him," she finally let out. She scrunched up her nose at her confession and bit her lip, waiting for her best friend to answer. Lily let her bright white teeth peek out into the world as she silently mocked the brunette.

"You're in loooove with him," she teased. Her sing voice touched the air and annoyingly made its way into Miley's brain.

"I said I might like him," she snapped back, grabbing a hold of her tray. She rose up and emptied out her half eaten lunch- clearly she lost her appetite. Miley hooked her fingers into the loopholes of her jeans as she rocked back and forth. "He has a girlfriend," she confessed- only minutes later.

"So, you're Miley effing Stewart," Lily replied simply. She rotated her head around the cafeteria, giving notice to the many guys that were subtly taking their glances at the girls. "The girl who everyone wants but no one can have," she rambled on. "Well, in theory," she added.

"Yeah, I totally forgot about that, Lily," Miley replied sarcastically. She took a look around the room and shuddered from the glances they were getting. Not only were the girls getting male attention, but a bit of snarky female glares. It was times like that this that Miley became well aware of what people were saying. "I'm going to go," she got up and glanced at the cafeteria. It was her senior year. She would be getting out soon.

"Miley!" Lily gasped, running after the brunette. "Don't let them get to you."

"Yeah, I know. Thanks, Lils. I think I'm just going to go to bio," Miley sighed, quickly turning around and walking towards the science room. She walked into the empty science room and dumped her backpack on the counter. Senior year was supposed to be fun. She was supposed to be having the time of her life. Maybe she just had too much fun and she was paying for it now. She bitterly chuckled to herself as she heard the room door squeak open.

Her eyes caught on to the black combat boots that hit the tiled floor. Her eyes trailed up and she saw the eyes that she had been thinking about ever since that fateful Saturday.

"Hey," he mumbled quietly, looking oh so flustered. He grasped the papers in his hand and darted his eyes around the room. "Mrs. Ngo isn't in here?" he asked. She shook her head. She really couldn't find the words to speak. A light blush on his cheeks rose up and he nodded briskly and proceeded to turn around.

"You're Nick, right?" Miley called out just in time. He spun on his heels and turned around. His eyes were a bit startled, letting a darker brown seep into his already beautiful irises.

"Yeah," his voice wasn't quite strong, as though he was holding his confidence back.

"Miley," she felt the confidence rush through- as though she was reaching her old level of self confidence. Before the whole incident took place...

"Hey," he said awkwardly. He shuffled slowly away from the door and looked down. His top row of his teeth slightly bit into his lip. "You're helping with the Guys and Dolls set, right?" he finally asked. His voice sounded a bit stronger than before and that made her smile.

"Yeah," she beamed, nodding her head eagerly. He give her a small, sweet smile and nodded his head.

"I guess I'll see you then," he concluded. She nodded and he pushed himself off the desk and turned towards the door, giving her a small nod before he walked off. As he left, he left her in a sort of daze. The bell had rung and the class came charging in. The teacher's lecture went by in a flash and before she knew it she was making her way towards the auditorium for her next day of detention.

She caught a glimpse of the leather jacket she had seen earlier as he slipped inside the auditorium- just a few steps ahead of her. She quickened her pace, letting herself catch him starting up a conversation with Demi, who was already ready with the sets of brushes.

"Hey, Miss. Priss," he let out a humorous tone. His back was turned towards Miley and she could sense how differently he was acting when she had seen him in the biology room.

"Uh, its Diva to you," Demi stuck out her tongue and handed him brush. He grudgingly took a hold of it as she let out an innocent smile.

"I should paint your face black then I wouldn't have to look at it," he retorted. She rolled her eyes as he grinned at her and walked off towards the paint buckets. She let her attention fall on Miley who was awkwardly standing in the middle of the stage.

"Hey," Demi gave her a small smile. She walked over to the brunette and fanned out the brushes. "Pick a color," she demanded.

"I pick the blue one," Miley grinned she took a hold of the handle and Demi nodded.

"Good choice. I would have gone with that...since loser over there took the black," Demi grinned, taking a hold of the dark green brush. She led Miley over to the wall and the two dipped their brushes into the paint buckets.

"So I had an extremely awkward meeting with Nick in the bio room today," Miley made an advance for conversation. Demi smirked and shook her head, gently stroking her brush on the wall.

"Yeah, he's um....something," she chuckled. "What happened?" she inquired.

"He like didn't talk," Miley giggled. She turned to face Demi who was openly mocking her with a smirk. "What?"

"He's a shy person. But...when it comes to stuff he's really passionate about, he tends to be confident," she explained.

"Oh, like his girlfriend," Miley accidentally let out. She slapped a hand over her mouth as she heard the bitterness leak out of her voice. "Sorry, I know she's your friend," Miley squeaked.

"Selena..." Demi trailed. She pursed her lips, calculating exactly what to say. "I've known her for ten years."

"So, you two must be really close," Miley thought out loud, accidentally sounding pretty sarcastic. She didn't get how Demi and Selena could be friends.

"You don't know her," Demi defended absentmindedly. She looked over at Miley who slightly taken aback. "Look, people around here don't judge," she said pointedly. Miley understood the double meaning that was laced through that sentence. "She's a good person. A little headstrong, but a good person," she said with an air of finality in her voice.

"I'm sorry. I didn't mean it like that, at all," Miley pressed on, guilt eating at her insides.

"I know," Demi brushed her off gently. "Look, I need to work on other stuff," she tossed her head towards the other wall. "Just finish up here and paint that top corner while you're at it," she nodded at the blank spot near the ceiling. Miley nodded and Demi turned around to get to her work. "Ladder is already there," she called over her shoulder.

Miley nodded at Demi and internally groaned. She didn't mean to diss Selena like that...it just came sort of naturally. She grabbed her paint bucket and stepped onto the ladder. Out of the corner of her eye, she could see someone shift around her, but her vision was too focused on the ladder to see who exactly it was. She lugged her paint buck up and took another step, steadily trying to take control of her weight. As she went onto her sixth step- halfway up- she felt her heel slip.

Everything whizzed by fast as fear engulfed her. She gently shut her eyes as she hit a sort of free fall and felt her body falling through thin air.

**A/N Annoyed as hell with the Delena vs. Memi fight that's taking place on twitter. And the Jemi stuff. Gah, today is just not a good day. So, I decided to post for you guys. If you're feeling half as crappy as I am on twitter than you'll be happy with a twitter. Again, I'm so glad you guys are liking the story. I'll I'm hoping for is progress. So, let your friends know about the story or whatever. Let me know your thoughts! Next chapter is intense. Oh, and I wrote chapter 6 today. YAY ME. **


	4. Chapter 4

It took her awhile to register the strong arms that wrapped around her. She could feel his skin collide with hers as he carefully caught her falling body. She squeezed her eyes shut in fear. The ladder toppled over and crashed onto the ground as he moved away from it.

"You okay?" his soft voice brushed against her ear, teasing her anxiety.

"Yeah," she released her fragile voice. She almost had a near death experience...well, almost. She gasped out a breath of relief and looked at her arched body that was still in his arms. "Um..." she trailed awkwardly.

"Right, I should probably put you down now, huh?" he grinned. Miley nodded. "Miley, right?" he said as he placed her feet on the stage.

"You forgot my name already?" she joked at him, earning a soft smile. He grinned and shook his head.

"Well, you now. There's so many people named Miley in this school..." he replied sarcastically. His brown eyes bore into hers and she could feel the connection.

"Well, that's my name don't wear it out," she giggled. She took a step forward but pain sprinted around her ankle and she crumbled in pain. "Oww," she winced. She slumped down as he caught her for the second time that day.

"Here," he cradled her in his arms. She leaned on him for support as the both rocked their over to the side of the stage. "I'll get some ice," he offered as he laid her on the floor. She nodded hopelessly as she checked out her ankle. It was red and she could begin to see the swelling.

"Is everything alright?" Mr. Platt rushed to her side. He peeked at the ankle and grabbed the ice from Nick's hand. "Here make sure you put this on like this," he positioned it for her. She nodded. "Are you okay?"

"Yeah, I'm fine," she said breathlessly. Everyone was crowding around on their tippy toes to see what exactly had happened.

"Nothing to see here," Nick brushed them away with irritation he sat cross legged next to Miley as she tried to soothe her pain. Mr. Platt nodded and turned around to get back to work once he had seen that she was getting better. "Looks like it hurts," he commented.

"No shit Sherlock," Miley replied bitterly, pain stinging away. He chuckled, grabbing the ice and putting it more towards the center of the pain.

"You should probably put it where it hurts," he added. She narrowed her eyes in at him.

"Should I kick you where it hurts?"

He choked himself up with laughter as she glared at him. She slanted her eyebrows forcing out a serious atmosphere.

"I dare you," he smirked, leaning back against the wall in a new boost of self confidence.

"I wouldn't dare me if I were you," she whispered sneakily. He arched his eyebrows in fear and she burst out laughing. She lifted the icepack off her ankle and saw that the swelling had calmed down a bit.

"Looks like it's getting better," he craned to see her ankle. She smiled and nodded.

"So, what's your deal?'

` "Huh?" he asked back, genuinely confused. She rolled her eyes and sat Indian style, facing him straight on.

"You were completely awkward like only two hours ago and now you're talking to me like we're best friends."

"I thought we were best friends?" he whimpered, faking sadness. She smack on his arm as he gave out a light chuckle. "Okayyy," he started. She crossed her arms as she waited for his explanation. "I guess I'm a bit shy."

"A little bit?" she mocked back.

"A teensy bit," he picked up his hand and signaled his two fingers close together, peaking through the gap to see her smile. He let his eyes settle on the pink of her lips expanding, conquering up her face.

"You're such a loser," she teased, pushing him back a little bit. He rolled his eyes and got up, sticking out his hand to help her up too.

"You want to help me paint…since you know...you're so _incapable_ of doing it for yourself," he laughed. She trailed behind him as he went back to his prior painting spot, making sure to bring her own brush along the way.

"Yeah, well. I think you're just jealous that I have better painting skills then you," she bit her lip in a smile, waiting for his next retort.

"Yeah, I'm so jealous of the way you _gracefully_ bounced off the ladder," he directed her towards her painting spot and she shot her tongue out at him. He playfully pushed her with his side and she tumbled over, huffing along the way.

"You're not supposed to push people around. Learn your manners." She didn't know when she had gotten so comfortable around him, but it felt completely natural. It was almost like he felt that simplicity between them too- as though they were in the midst of nature, allowing everything to fall into place.

"You should also learn grace along with manners," he smirked. She scoffed and he shrugged. She flicked her wet brush over to him, splattering small black drops over his cream colored face. "You did not just do that."

"I did," she smirked. He took a hold of the paint bucket as she gradually took steps back. "Don't," she warned, but he didn't heed the warning. His black boots hit the floor as he tipped over the paint bucket. Miley squealed, already anticipating the cold black paint piling up on her head.

As to her good fortune, Miley saw two small hands grab the handle out of Nick's hands.

"Nick," Demi warned. She swung the bucket to her side and placed her hands to her hips, completely making her look like a total diva. "The paint's expensive. Use a hammer," she smirked at Miley, leaving the poor girl helpless.

"Thanks Demi," the brunette snapped at the girl. Demi rolled her eyes and pulled on an amused expression as she walked off.

"Nick, do not get a hammer," Miley's words were sharp. He tossed his curls around and threw his head back in laughter.

"I'm not going to do that," he explained. She gave him a dubious look and he put his hands up in the form of surrender. "I promise," he put on a puppy dog face and she caved within seconds.

"I believe you," she whined. "Don't use that face," she pointed at him and he grinned. He wiped off his paint brush and bit his lip. "What?" Miley asked out of curiosity. He shifted his eyes up towards her.

"We don't have paint," he said simply. Miley pursed her lips and broke out into laughter; Nick soon followed her lead. The two clutched their stomachs from giggles, unaware that they were gaining unwanted attention.

"Oh look," a girl beside them snarled. She turned towards them and gave her friend a small, mischievous smirk. "Looks like she stealing Selena's boyfriend, huh?"

"Yeah, like she didn't have enough with-" the other girl started up, but was silenced by Nick's glare at her. She grew uncomfortable, but her friend gained even more confidence and flipped her hand to her side and propped her hip up.

"Enough with who, Jen? Demi's boyfriend," she quipped up, glaring at Miley. The intensity of their gazes caught Miley off guard and she choked on a breath of air.

"Why don't you two get lives...and leave her alone," Nick snapped back to them. He turned around to see Miley silently wallowing to herself. The memories of that night washed through her and she finally realized why Demi's face had looked so familiar the other day.

**A/N I was not supposed to update today, especially cause the last chapter hasn't been fully viewed by most of my readers yet, haha. There is still about a 100 viewers that haven't seen it. But I figured that I would have time to right today and tomorrow so I should just put it up and see how you guys react! I did put hints to this, so its not a random story line, haha. Okay, so deal for this chapter? 15 reviews and I'll post the next chapter. Haha, I'm 'bad, haha. But I want to see what you guys think of the story line and the cliffhanger because the next two chapters are heavily based off of the cliffhanger, so I have to see if I need to rewrite anything or not. And I won't know if its good or not, if I can't see your guys' response to it. **


	5. Chapter 5

"Don't listen to them," he said quietly, but his thin voice never quite made it to Miley's ear. The decimating silence left Miley disturbed. She tilted her head towards him, letting out her soft, quivering voice.

"You know. Don't you?" she asked, waiting for his answer. Nick shifted uncomfortably and bit his lip. She did have the patience any longer. "What am I talking about? The whole school knows," she added in bitterly.

"I'm not judging you," he defended. Miley rolled her eyes and crossed her arms, leaning back into her chair.

"Of course you are. Even I'm judging myself," she confessed. She let her cardigan hang on her sides as she slumped in. A fleeting thought crossed her head as she realized that she needed to find Demi. She left a confused Nick behind as she made her way to the paint room. She saw Demi's back as the girl was mixing a couple of colors.

Demi whipped around to find the brunette silently standing at the doorway.

"Hey," Demi nodded cheerfully, whipping the paint brush around. She held a couple of buckets and handed them over to different people. Miley slowly walked in as everyone shuffled out, closing the door behind her.

"So, I think you know what I did..." Miley trailed, balancing her weight mostly on one foot. Demi's eyes flickered with pain and reverted back to her cheerfulness.

"What are you talking about," she tried to wave away the conversation, but Miley was stubborn.

"Demi I did something horrible. How can you stand there and forgive me?" she demanded to know the answer. She narrowed in her eyes at the raven haired girl, waiting to be enlightened.

"Like I said. We don't judge here," Demi simply replied. She laid herself down on the nearest chair and looked up at Miley with a small smile.

"I was drunk that night," Miley explained, taking a seat next to Demi. "I didn't even know who I was talking to or if I was in control," she sighed. Demi let her eyes drop as she finally heard the actual story of what happened that night.

"I'm not normally like that," she confessed. "I was going through something and I just snapped, letting stuff get to me. And I walked into that party just wishing that everything would magically get better. And I drank a cup. And then I drank another…and next thing you know I was in a room."

"I saw you go in with him and I didn't do anything. I could have stopped you if I wanted," Demi confessed softly. "So its both of our faults," she concluded. Miley looked at her newly found friend and gave her a soft wisp of a smile.

"I remember seeing your face right before I closed the bedroom door. I'm so sorry."

"Its okay," Demi was about to add in something else as she looked towards the door, but stopped herself just in time. "You have a crush on Nick. Don't you?" she commented lightly. Miley's cheeks turned into a light shade of pink as she ducked her face.

"Oh, god," Miley groaned as she noticed Demi still staring at her intently. "Will you stop?" she whined, dangling he hands to her side.

"He has a girlfriend," Demi giggled softly, reminding Miley of her own problems.

"I know," Miley bounced her head down and sighed out a huge breath of frustration. She looked at the amused grin that was plastered all over Demi's face.

"Selena and Nick have been together for four years now. Since the opening night of their very first play together," Demi pressed on. She tucked her behind an ear and looked pointedly towards Miley.

"Why are you telling me this?" she groaned back. She let her hair cascade over her shoulders as Demi smirked at her torture.

"They also are together for the completely wrong reasons," she added in randomly. Miley's head shot up as her eyebrows were arched up with confusion.

"What are you talking about?" the brunette asked as the curiosity started to tug at her mind. Demi tilted her eyebrows and smirked at Miley's sudden curiosity.

"Well, right after Nick found out that Selena's grandfather is the Dean of Admissions at Julliard, he was suddenly so into her," Demi gossiped. She leaned back in her chair and kept on a light smirk as Miley's face contorted as she processed the information.

"Nuh, uh," Miley slapped the gum in her mouth. She chewed it with concentration as she pictured Nick with Selena. She was always draped all over his arms as he leaned with confidence, completely ignoring her attachment.

"Its not like Selena doesn't realize it though," Demi quipped up. She shrugged, trying to find the right words as she described the relationship that was _Nelena._ It was something so contradictory that she was sure even Nick couldn't quite understand what he thought of Selena. "I think somewhere along the way, though. He did start caring about her."

"But she doesn't really open up to him enough for him to really understand her, huh?" Miley asked, recalling the conversation that she had overheard on her first day.

"Yeah, I think you just need to understand them to even know why the still stick around with each other," Demi added in.

"Aren't all relationships like that?" Miley joked. Demi let out a goofy grin.

"I guess," she giggled at the brunette. The two sat in silence until Miley started to gather herself up. She reached for the door and turned around.

"How do you know Nick so well?" she asked. Demi was caught off guard as she stumbled across her words.

"Uh," she stammered, looking for the right answer.

"I mean you're Selena's best friend. And she's always hanging off of him, but doesn't really talk to him. So how did you get to know him so well?" Miley pushed on, intrigued to the close bond between Demi and Nick.

"I think that's the stuff you should ask Nick about," Demi finally answered, furrowing her eyebrows as she thought. Miley tilted her head in confusion and walked out, leaving Demi alone in her own thoughts. The brunette made her way through stage left only to stumble in on a couple, who had their backs turned on her.

She saw the curly head of hair and the shoulder length black haired girl lean into his frame. She clung onto his shoulders and sighed in frustration.

"This is an open casting," Selena complained, scooting closer into Nick. "That means talentless losers are going to be vying in for _my_ spot," she let her drilled in, shriveled voice reach a penetrating sound as she whined.

"Don't worry about it," Nick shrugged off her complaints and leaned onto the wall, letting her cling onto him. "So, how about we go to your favorite restaurant today?" he asked, trying to shake off her useless complaints.

"Can't. Acting class at seven. I thought you would remember?" she snapped at him. She coiled out of his grip and rolled her eyes, crossing her arms and waiting for his excuse.

"You always have acting classes," he grunted out, annoyed. Selena opened her mouth ajar.

"Hello, you want the same thing as me," she solidified her voice with and iced up glare. Nick turned towards her and dropped his hands down in frustration.

"Well, excuse me for wanting a _fucking_ relationship that's based off of real things. Not just the fact that we both like acting, but that we actually get to know each other," he narrowed in her eyes at her as she fumed with anger. She boiled her head down and clenched her teeth. Nick's face softened. "Look, I just want to get to know you."

"We've been having this same fight for weeks now," she pointed. Nick nodded and slung his arm around, gently kissing her temple.

"How about we go out for lunch on Saturday. You're free then, right?" she asked. He nodded at her. "Then its a date," she whispered into his ear, causing him to chuckle and hold her tighter. The two leaned into each other and shuffled towards everyone else, leaving Miley in her eaves dropping place.

The brunette dug her hands in her pocket and let out a sigh. She should probably just forget about Nick.

**A/N So, it never quite made it to 15 reviews, but it did make it to 14! Which was in improvement from the prior chapter. I'm glad you guys are liking this story. I'm starting to talk about it a little more on twitter because I'm in a better mood. But I don't feel comfortable posting links (going the extra mile) if my twitter readers won't go the extra mile of just letting me know what they think of the story. It takes a lot of thought and energy to post each chapter and without response it gets discouraging I review every story I've been reading for the past couple of months. If I haven't reviewed it mean I wasn't reading it to begin with. Okay, now onto the Author's Not part that pertains to the story. Dropped major plot hints in this chapter that are easy to figure out Let me know what you're thinking! Love you guys!**


	6. Chapter 6

Mr. Platt let his heavy boots rummage across the stage as his eyes darted across the well painted scenery. Everyone held their breaths as he silently judged every painted tip on stage.

"I think…" he trailed, leaning in to inspect the background just a little bit more. "I think we are ready to start auditions," he grinned. Everyone released a sigh of relief. He turned towards the crowd of students and let his white teeth peak out. "Remember, since you guys helped. You will have a leg up on this audition, but it is open casting," he warned, flicking his pen back and forth.

Miley rolled her eyes as she restlessly squirmed in her seat. Finally, she could get off set and go into living her normal life. She didn't have to pick up a paint brush anymore…she didn't have to listen to Mr. Platt's useless instructions.

She watched as everyone started the conversations amongst themselves. Most people were endlessly going on about the play. Selena held her head up high in arrogance as she flung her arms wildly; emphasizing how she was made for the role she was trying out for.

Her eyes soon painted their way towards Nick, who was talking to Demi. She could hear Demi's laughter penetrate the auditorium as Nick quickly whispered an inside joke. She rolled her eyes and blinked towards Miley. The two smiled at each other as Nick's gaze also met the brunette's. Miley sighed. If she would miss anything about this whole detention scenario, it was going to be these too. She couldn't imagine not joking around with Nick or rambling along with Demi.

Nick beckoned Miley closer as he tugged his index finger towards her. She playfully shook her head and slanted her eyebrows, signaling him to come to her instead. He smirked and turned towards Demi, getting back into another conversation. Miley rolled her eyes and huffed out of her seat, walking towards her two new friends.

"Happy?" she sniped at Nick. He smirked and rested his arms around her shoulder, gently leaning in towards her.

"Hey, I saved your life. Is this the attitude you're going to give me," he replied wittily. Miley playfully glared at him and shrugged his arm off her shoulder, inching towards Demi.

"Actually, you just saved me from a broken bone," she retorted. Demi doubled over with laughter and slanted herself towards Miley.

"Girl's right. You didn't _actually_ save her life," she said towards Nick. The teenage boy stuck his tongue out and made a face at the two friends.

"Can't believe you take her side," he whined. Demi chuckled and flipped her hair back, side glancing at Miley who had a grin plastered all over her creamy skin.

"She likes me better," Miley prodded, earning another glare from Nick.

"Actually she likes me better," piped up another voice, iced up with a shrill of annoyance. Miley tilted her head back to see a pair of black flats standing beside her. She let her eyes reach Selena's face, which was panged with irritation.

She gave Miley one look and turned towards Nick, who had obediently made his way toward her side. She gave him a soft kiss on his lips and grinned. "Hi Nicky," she bubbled. He gave her a gentle smile before she sharply turned towards Demi. "Demiii," she shrieked, clinging onto her best friend's arm. "We have work to do," she said, completely ignoring Miley and tugging along her friend.

Miley cringed at the awkward moment and gave Nick a look.

"She's always like that," he brushed it off. She tipped her eyebrows up and down, showing her incredulous nature. "She's a bit intense," he added on.

"Yeah, whatever," Miley brushed him off. Nick sighed and dug his hands in his pockets.

"You don't know her," he defended. Miley shut her eyes, obviously tired of his excuses at this point. "She's really…" he trailed unsurely, not even knowing what to say next.

"I don't even think you know the real her. She's so fake," Miley blurted out. She slapped her hands over her glossed lips in surprise. "That did not come out right," she continued on, but Nick waved her away.

"Yeah, she's like that sometimes. But she's a good person, Miley. She loves acting like me and we get along," he replied softly. "I might not know much about her, but we have enough time to figure each other out."

"Senior year is ending," Miley replied. She could see Nick's face soften up a bit, allowing himself to process what she had said and what she was accusing him of.

"I know, but…" he let out a frustrated side. "_She_ gets me," he emphasized. "She gets the whole acting thing. She believes in a dream so much that it just essentially becomes a part of you. She's the same person as me. We both don't let anyone get close and we're focused on what we want." He let his head bend down in frustration and Miley's head spun.

"Is that anyway to live?" Miley asked softly. "It sounds like an emotionless relationship to me," she voiced her concern. Nick tugged his arms together and silently sat on the tip of his chair. He let his head prop into his hands. "We don't have to talk about this anymore if you don't want to."

"Yeah, that would be good," he hoarsely replied. "I'm just tired of defending myself," he said warily. Miley nodded and gave him a small smile. She didn't want to push the subject anymore. It was his decision.

"So acting," Miley motioned towards the audition list that everyone was crowding around, including Demi and Selena.

"Yeah," he grinned, letting joy spread across his face. "I've been acting since I was like five."

"Damn," Miley whistled. Nick chuckled and looked towards her.

"Are you trying out for _Guys and Dolls_?" he asked. Miley rolled her eyes as she smirked. "Why not?" he asked out of curiosity.

"I've never actually done any acting," Miley confessed.

"Oh, come on. You can spend more time with Demi and _me._" Miley felt like he unnecessarily stressed the "me" on purpose. He nudged her playfully, sending sparks across her bare skin.

"Uh, I wouldn't even know where to start," she smirked back. She tousled her brunette locks over her shoulder and snuck a peak at the sign up list. People had already scribbled their names on the paper. "What part would I try out for?" she whined.

"Hmm…" Nick thought a loud, getting up and surveying the girl. He looked her up and down and rested his index finger on his chin. "I think Adelaide. You would totally steal the show," he grinned. His eyes glittered with an unknown element and Miley could feel herself melting under his gaze.

"And what kind of character is she?" Miley played back, crossing her legs and leaning on her back.

"The fun character," Nick replied, taking a seat close enough to her. Her irises made their way over to his perfectly sculpted face. Nick smiled at her as the two got caught up in a silent moment. Nick flickered his eyes away and stared straight ahead. "I better go sign up," he added nervously.

"Yeah, you should," Miley replied quickly. Nick nodded and stirred out of his seat, walking towards the sign up list. The crowd had dissipated for the most part.

"You should probably stop staring," a voice interrupted Miley's thoughts. The brunette looked up to see a grinning Demi.

"What's up," she replied sarcastically.

"You look confused," Demi chuckled. Miley scoffed and crossed her elbows. Demi rolled her eyes and let out a giggle.

"_He's confusing_," Miley whined. Letting her head frustratingly dip into her hands as her hair cascaded over her face. Demi laughed at her pathetic posture. "Sorry, for the whining. He just talks about how he _wants_ to be with Selena but not really and then flirts with me unknowingly."

"He's probably just confused," Demi laughed.

"Of what?"

"Maybe he actually likes you," Demi nudged on playfully. Miley threw her a glare and a sarcastic smirk.

"Whatever," Miley muttered under her breath. She turned away from Demi's taunting as her eyes landed on the audition sheet. She drew in a deep breath as she got up and latched her finger onto the pen in her pocket. She was going to sign up.

**A/N So, this is where the story starts to pick up =D. And this chapter is the first fourth of the story! Yipeeee. Sorry I haven't updated in awhile, the next chapter is kind of giving me a hard time. I have like a third of it written out, but yeah...I can't do the other third for some reason, haha. So, the chapter is supposed to show some Nick flirtation, hope you got that lol. And, I also wanted to say, THANK YOU GUYS. The response for the last chapter was beyond amazing. 17 reviews. and then the chapter before that hit 16 reviews! That's ridiculous. In a good way =D. Hopefullly this story keeps it up! Again, my whole goal is improvement. So, this really means a lot to me. Love you guys.**

**xoxo**

**Talks Too Much  
**


	7. Chapter 7

"Heyyy…" Nick trailed as he saw the brunette planted on stage with a script in hand. His eyes moved fluidly across her body as he scanned her posture, which was completely held upright with stress. "What are you doing here?" he looked around the empty auditorium.

"What do you _think_ I'm doing," Miley waved the script out. She blew the strands that were dangling around her face away as Nick began to step forward.

"I thought you were quitting drama?" he smirked at her, finally arriving to the edge of the stage. He looked up at her as she stood a foot above him on the propped platform.

She rolled her eyes and let herself drop down so that her legs dangled over the edge of the stage. She let her black heels hit the ground as she straightened out her jeans. She felt her shirt riding up, exposing a clear patch of tanned skin, but before she could snatch it down, she saw Nick's eyes flicker toward her body. The red in her cheeks warmed up as he flicked his eyes back and proceeded to sit next to her.

"I was going to," she explained. She puffed out her cheeks and let her palms hit the black stage. "I couldn't," she started, but was cut off by the sound of his voice.

"Couldn't stay away from me, huh?" he smirked, letting his confident side out. She elbowed him in the side and he winced with fake pain.

"And that's what you get for being Mr. Cocky," she slanted up her eyebrows in victory. He huffed and grabbed her script from her loosely held grip.

"You're trying out for Adelaide?" he asked curiously. He rummaged through the script as he saw her thick yellow high lighter in various spots.

"Yup," she said shyly. She tucked back a strand of hair and rocked herself back and forth as he silently skimmed through the lines. "Is there a problem?"

"No," he chuckled, letting a grin appear on his face. He bit his lip and shook his head. "I'm trying out for Nathan," he pointed at the name above Adelaide's on the script. Miley pursed her lips as a light blush started to form within her.

"My love interest…" she trailed, scratching the back of her neck.

"Here, why don't we practice?" he offered her. He looked towards the clock and nodded at the brunette. "Auditions aren't till after school so we have a good hour left."

"Okay," she shifted herself up and blew out a fresh breath of air. He pointed towards a scene and she nodded. She patted her script down on to the stage and immersed herself in her character. She slowly held up a high and mighty smirk as they started the scene. Nick walked around and turned towards her.

"A present. For me?" Nick's eyes twinkled at her, getting into Nathan's character. She barely missed a beat as she gazed into those chocolate filled pools of irises.

"I hope you like it," Miley prodded into character, getting all overly Broadway excited. She pranced up to him and leaned on his shoulder as he shuffled through an imaginary box.

Nick gazed down into his empty hands gently pulling out and imaginary, glamorous belt. He looked at it with awe and turned towards the brunette.

"A belt!" he screamed. Miley nodded her head rapidly and leaned a little more weight on his shoulder.

"Read the card," she beamed. For a second in time, Nick's stare was too focused on her pearly whites. He hazed back into concentration and tore his gaze away, returning to the scene.

"Uh," he nervously rubbed his neck. "Sorry," he sputtered out, leaning back in frustration as he tried to recall his lines. He then bounced back into character and held out a card in front of him. "Sugar is sweet, and so is jelly, so put this belt around your belly." He turned towards Miley with a shy smile and tilted his head. "That's so sweet," he mumbled gently snuggling his nose against her cheek. He took in a deep breath and leaned back. "Look, honey - about your present. I didn't get one. I'm sorry," he looked down with shame.

Miley's heart melted as his gaze dropped down to the stage floor. He looked so scared and completely in character. Out of an impulse, she grabbed his hand, gently raising up his gaze and gave him a small smirk.

His hand jumped as the contact tightened. She smiled and scooted in towards his chest as he wrapped his arms around her neck, gently pulling them closer as they kept eye contact.

"No," she started looking at him with a comedic grin. "I kinda like it when you forget to give me presents. It makes me feel like we're married." Her smile was bright by now and Nick chuckled. The two gently smiled at each other and swayed in the others embrace.

And she couldn't help but feel the truth in that statement. This whole scene made her feel comfortable with Nick. It was as though being in a relationship with him was the most natural thing in the world. And she couldn't help but notice that he still hadn't let go of her body.

There gazes were locked and for a second in time Miley could have sworn that they were both leaning in. She could feel a strange force pulling their lips closer and closer. Until, that is, a loud door slam penetrated the auditorium, causing the two teenagers to jump back in confusion.

Nick automatically turned away, trying to hide the bright crimson that was running amuck on his pale cheeks. He silently cursed himself as Miley gently brought back the strands of hair that had freely fallen across her face.

It took a matter of seconds till the intruder of their privacy appeared on stage.

"Hey!" Demi bubbled with excitement. She rushed over to Miley and engulfed her into a strong hug, rocking the two girls back and forth.

"Don't say hi to me," Nick playfully muttered. Demi gave him a pointed look and stuck her tongue out.

"I didn't even know you were auditioning," she said as she carried her attention back onto Miley. Miley bashfully shrugged and gave her shy smile.

"She's a good actress too," Nick piped in. "We were just practicing a small scene until you had to break up our acting bubble," he smirked at his friend. Demi rolled her eyes.

"You're trying out for Adelaide?" she said that as though it was the most interesting thing in the world. Miley nodded in response. Demi contemplated the thought for a moment as they were politely interrupted.

They could remotely hear the clatter of footsteps making their way into the auditorium. It took a few seconds to see Mr. Platt bouncing down the stairs and making his way to the stage. He was followed by a stream of students as he nodded for everyone to take a seat. He smiled and took a look at the long list in front of him.

"Okay, my Nathans. You're up first," he nodded in encouragement as some of the boys lifted themselves out of their seats. Miley looked over at Nick who was loosely getting ready for the audition. He was the first person up.

He briefly looked at her before scampering his eyes towards the audience in general. He took a deep breath and drifted away as his character spoke. She could see the passion for acting laced through ever muscle as he made Nathan alive. He was so sure of himself and his features took on to the lines so easily. And by the end, Miley found herself wanting to scream "encore!" He took a bow and let his fellow peers try to show up what he had just displayed- natural talent.

"My Sarahs. Just to mix up the caste lists a little bit," Mr. Platt grinned. Demi looked at Miley with a knowing look and propped herself off of the chair and skipped towards the stage. Her face suddenly lost comedic abilities and dropped into seriousness, taking on Sarah's character. She built in her courage and taste of life. "Okay, you guys are doing musical numbers," he reminded them gently. They all nodded and Demi was the first to take a stab at the character.

She belted out the notes and left the stage with a fiery presence. Miley was taken aback at the sound of Demi's voice; she didn't realize that her friend had such talent. Demi whipped her head back and grinned as the final notes of the song were played. She bowed down to the cheers as Miley clapped enthusiastically.

Miley didn't know what possessed her eyes to flicker towards the steps of the auditorium, but nonetheless her blue orbs found a figure leaning against the wall. No one else in the auditorium seemed to take notice of the dark haired boy who casually let himself grace their presence. As Demi made her way back to her seat, the boy left. And just like that, Miley was left to think it was all in her imagination.

The next few auditions flew by as the same song was monotonously song over and over again. Miley's attention peaked once Mr. Platt called up all the Adelaide girls. Demi looked at her with an encouraging smile and Miley rolled her eyes, lazily getting up and walking towards the stage.

Out of the corner of her eyes, she saw Selena get up and prance toward the stage with energy and that's when Miley's adrenaline kicked in. Selena was trying out for the same part. She whipped her head towards Nick and Demi who were conveniently preoccupied with other things. Why hadn't they warned her?

**A/N So, I have to kind of admit...this is my favorite chapter so far, haha. Even though it took me forever and a day to write it. For people who know the actual lines of the play, I used a junior musical because I couldn't find the full script =D Oh, and the response for last chapter. WE BROKE 20 reviews! With a total of 21 reviews last chapter, I am like completely surprised and ridiculously happy. So, I know Selena and Miley competing was so obvious but what's happening in the next two chapter isn't so stay tuned! And did you guys catch the almost Niley kiss, muahahahaaha**?


	8. Chapter 8

"Oh, come on Miley," Lily mumbled as she set the tray down on the pale, green table. She snatched an apple off of Miley's tray and nibbled into yet, satisfying the blazing hunger in her stomach.

"Did they think I wasn't going to make it?" Miley rambled on, stabbing a fork into her lasagna- or at least what looked like it. "I mean did they think me trying out wasn't a big deal and Selena would get it anyways?" she turned towards Lily and raised her eyebrows in frustration.

"What? It's not like I can read their mind," Lily reminded her, biting into her apple again. She inched Miley's plate a little closer and peered at her food. "Is that even considered edible?" she made a disgusted look as her eyes started pointedly at her friend's lasagna.

Miley leaned over and scrunched up her nose into a small button as her forehead followed in pursuit.

"I don't know…" the brunette trailed as she stuck her face in confusion. She prodded the food with her for as she watched it sag and shuddered as a reflex.

"Aww, you look so cute when you're confused," a male voice cooed as the hidden figure brought himself closer. He slid next to her and peered at the food, lifting up his eyebrows. "Cafeteria food was never the best."

"What are you doing here?" Miley asked as irritation itched up her throat. She threw the boy a dirty glance and focused her attention on his forehead, completely detracted herself from his beautiful, chocolate brown eyes.

"Why are you mad at me?" Nick asked, defending himself as she attacked him with glares. He leaned towards her causing Miley to scotch back a bit.

"You didn't tell me that Selena was auditioning for the same part." She crossed her arms and straightened up her back to let Nick know that she was fully serious.

He dug his hands in his pockets and pulled on an annoyed face.

"You're really going to get mad about something that minor?" he shot back, obviously a little peeved by her behavior. "Don't you think that's a little childish?"

"Childish?" Miley repeated slowly. She murmured to herself and slammed her palms on the table as Lily gaped at the whole thing.

"Oh, no you didn't," Lily added in for comic relief. Miley snapped her head at her and rolled her eyes before turning her attention back on Nick. She slapped her palm on the bench and lifted herself off the bench abruptly, tumbling over and walking away.

"Miley," Nick groaned after her. He looked at Lily for support as she shrugged off his attempts.

"Don't look at me. Oh, I'm Lily, by the way," she stuck out her hand as she finally introduced herself to the guy that captured her best friend's heart.

"Nick," he breathed out, accepting her hand and sliding off the bench. "Thanks for the help," he added sarcastically. He jogged in the direction that Miley was heading. He found her at an open locker, angrily stuffing books into her beige backpack.

"Don't try it," Miley hissed as he came closer.

"I'm trying to apologize," he reasoned. He saw a flash of anger whiz across her face as she slammed her locker shut.

"What? You want to call me childish for reacting this way?" she smart talked him as he stepped closer. He rolled his eyes and groaned with frustration.

"If you stopped retorting to everything I say _maybe_ you can actually _hear_ the words that are coming out of my mouth. I. am. Sorry," he snapped back. She crossed her arms as she dubiously smirked at him.

Nick laid his hands on her shoulders and looked her straight into those crystal blue irises of hers.

"I am sorry," he sincerely whispered. Her shoulders sagged as she started to calm down. He smiled at her reaction. "I shouldn't have called you childish and I didn't tell you about Selena because I didn't want you to get nervous."

"Okay," Miley said softly.

"Okay?" he raised his eyebrows, expecting her to say something more. She gave out a soft giggle, fully realizing his arms were still placed gently on her shoulders.

"I'm sorry I completely over reacted and made you act like a concerned boy friend," Miley said all in one breath, not even realizing what she insinuated until she saw Nick's flustered face. "I mean a friend that's a boy," she automatically corrected herself. She was silently pleased that she could actually make Nick blush a little bit.

He awkwardly took his hands off her shoulder and rubbed the back of the neck. His eyes wandered elsewhere as he saw two people arguing in the hallway. He tugged Miley towards the end of the lockers so they were hidden from view. He pressed himself against her as he heard the two people shout.

"What are you doing?" Miley murmured, hot from his touch. Her question was answered as she heard Demi's voice strain out from the silence. "Is that-?" she was cut off as his palm covered her lips. He nodded and perked his ears up a bit.

"I'm not going to forgive you so just leave me alone, dammit!" she heard Demi screech. The shouting had stopped for a moment in time and Miley twisted out of Nick's grip to get a view of Demi. But it was too late. Demi was gone and Miley only got to see a flash of the boy who had presumably been there.

"So much fighting lately, huh?" Nick tried to joke, but Miley whipped her head around.

"Who was that?" she referred to the boy. Nick shrugged and before she could question anything any longer the bell had rung, forcing her to go to class.

The hour whizzed by and Miley impatiently tapped her pencil on her desk. She kept glancing up at the clock. So many questions were swirling through her head. It looked like the same guy she had seen at the auditorium the other day. Was he Demi's ex boyfriend? Was he the guy she had…? She couldn't even finish the thought. There were still so many things that were foggy from that night. She couldn't even remember the guys face clearly.

The only crystal clear images were the door she walked through and Demi's face before slipping into the bedroom. Everything else was covered up by guilt and carelessness.

She groaned as she rubbed her palms across her eyelids. The hour was climbing close to being finished. All she needed was that bell until she could ask Nick everything. And maybe she could talk to him about other things, too. She shook her head, trying to get rid of all her thoughts.

"He has a girlfriend," she murmured to herself. The bell interrupted her as she recalled images of Selena and Nick. "Thank god," she muttered, packing up her bags and slipping out of the classroom as quick as she could.

She walked directly towards the theater and opened up the door where she was expecting to find Nick.

He was popping on his jacket as he grabbed his backpack from the stage in a rush. He gave her a nod and rushed over.

"Haven't seen you in forever," he joked, locking their elbows as he dragged her towards the exit.

"More like an hour and why are you in such a rush? I have to talk to you about something," she barely got those words out as the hit the school hallway. He tugged her along as they made their way towards the drama class. He was skipping along with excitement.

"The caste list has been posted," he grinned at her. She pulled her hand out of his grip and stood still. "What's wrong?" he turned towards her.

"I-I'm scared," she confessed. Her eyes were widened with anxiety and she brought her arms in closer. He gave her a small smile before engulfing her into a hug. He placed his chin on the top of her head and held her for a second.

"Everything will be fine. Just check. You'll never know if you don't check," he reasoned. She nodded absentmindedly as he took her hand gently and walked towards the red painted door. On its painted glory, the neatly printed out sheet was posted. Her eyes wandered towards her part and she trailed across the dots before reaching the verdict.

**A/N Oops..did I end that on a cliffhanger? Sowwwwy. Haha, yes I'm alive and yes I do update. Its been a little while but I promise this week there will be another update...depending on if you guys want more. Haha, so click the review button and let me know what you think! Oh, by the way, the last chapter hit another record! Love you guys sooo much. I hope you liked the chapter. Niley fights and moments and all that fun stuff. **


	9. Chapter 9

_Selena Russo._

She blinked a couple of times to evade the tears that were clouding up her vision. There must be _some_ mistake. She side glanced at Nick who was peering at the paper intensely.

"Yes, I got Nathan!" he fist pumped back with energy. He gave her a warm hug and rocked them back and forth. "What about you?" he asked, but was met by complete silence. He leaned his head down to see Miley's eyes cower with sadness.

"Its fine," Miley stumbled out the words and whipped around. Nick took a quick glance at the casting paper.

"Miley wait!" he shouted at her retreating figure.

"What?" she snapped back, obviously not in a very good mood. He rolled his eyes and beckoned her closer. "What?" she repeated with annoyance.

"You're the understudy," he pointed out, letting his pale, white finger dance across her typed named. She tugged her cardigan and gave Nick a dubious glance as she crossed her arms in fury.

"You want me to be _happy_ about that? Really?" she asked. She scrunched up her eyebrows and turned on her heal, stomping her way through the corridors. Nick took a deep breath as he ran after her.

"You still have a part," he reasoned as he caught her wrist, trying to keep her in one place. "And plus, you _still_ have to show up for rehearsals and stuff. It's an important job."

"I'm second best," Miley shouted: her voice echoed across the hall. She had let a couple of tears slide out from her glossy eyes. Nick sighed and brought his free hand to her chin as he gently lifted it up.

"I really thought you would get the part," he admitted softly. "You were so much better than her. If only you could see yourself." He dulled his eyes as the two thought softly in silence. He really meant every word he was saying and hopefully she would believe it.

"Then why didn't I get the part," she stubbornly argued back- looking like a child in the process. She tilted her head as she waited for his answer.

"Because Platt is an idiot if he can't see your talent." It was a blatantly blunt statement and he didn't care if Mr. Platt himself overheard him saying this. It was true and he was going to stick by it. "Here why don't we ditch this place," he demanded, tugging her along towards the school parking lot.

"Where are we going?" Miley asked as she caught sight of his mustang.

"To get your mind off of this," he replied as a stuck his key into the lock and jumped into the driver's side. He leaned over and unlocked her door, letting her hop inside herself.

"And how do you propose to do that…" Miley trailed with uncertainty, expecting Nick to not have a concrete plan.

"I don't know yet," he admitted a little stiffly causing Miley to giggle a little bit. She let out a bright smile and turned on the stereo as he thought.

"Just drive," she looked at him with confidence. She didn't know what it was but she felt so comfortable with him. Like they could pass hours and still not be bored.

"How about some ice cream," he steered the car out of the parking lot and headed down the street. His hand settled down near the gear shift.

"Ice cream sounds good," Miley murmured in agreement. He perched his neck to see the street names and turned at the appropriate place. Miley let her hand settle down in the middle partition of the car, accidentally brushing against Nick's pinky. To her surprise, he didn't flinch, but just let it naturally happen.

He let the car gently ride into the parking lot and took the closest parking space to Yogurtland. He rushed over to her side of the door and opened it like the gentleman he was.

"Thanks," Miley smirked as she got out of the car. He nodded and swung his keys as he locked the door. He checked if it was really locked and started towards the shopping complex.

They were a couple of inches apart and kept getting closer to each other as they neared the restaurant. Their fingers brushed and Miley was suddenly keenly aware of her surroundings- completely alert of every breath both Nick and her were taking. She could hear her heart beat steadily and speed up as their shoulders made contact with each other.

Nick quickened his pace to open up the door for her and trailed in after the brunette. He placed a hand on the small of her back as he gently guided her in.

"Thanks," Miley shivered out as they took their place in line. Nick nodded and stuffed his hands in his pockets, gently rocking back and forth on the heels of his converse. "You look nervous," Miley laughed. He looked up cutely with a light blush.

"Just thinking," he replied back softly. Miley smiled and grabbed a cup. "What are you getting?" he asked as she glanced at the options.

"Something with a lot of sugar," she giggled while pressing random yogurt machines into her cup.

"Woah, slow down," he laughed as she put in a couple of flavors and mixed them together. "Do you know what that tastes like?" he asked as he looked at her vanilla, mint, chocolate, strawberry, and mango concoction.

"I like the surprise," she murmured as she put in gummy bears as a topping.

"That's disgusting," he laughed as he put in classic chocolate. "You're so weird," he teased. She shot her tongue out at him and made her way to the counter. "Oh, not so fast," he murmured, making it to the counter faster than her with a couple of bills in hand. "I'm paying," he smirked.

"No," Miley whined, dragging the word out.

"Why not?" he asked innocently.

"Because then it feels like a date. I need to pay for my own stuff," Miley grabbed a spoon and took a bite of the yogurt.

"What's so bad about this being a date?" Nick asked. Miley raised her eyebrows. His back was still turned to her as he had his attention focused on the cashier and the receipt he was about to receive.

"Uh," Miley was blushing furiously at the thought that he was actually flirting with her. "Nothing. It's just two friends hanging out, right?" she played back.

"Right," Nick turned around and stuffed the extra change into his pocket. "Shall we?" he offered her his arm as they strolled towards his car. She brightly smiled and linked their elbows. "We better get going," he said as he opened the door for her. She slid in and he rounded the car, getting back into the driver's seat.

He put the key into the ignition and backed the car up, getting back on the street and making their way towards the school.

"So, the caste meets up today," Miley tried to make conversation, lowering down the stereo volume a little bit.

"Yeah, it'll be interesting to see who got the parts. I didn't really get a good look," he said back. He side glanced at her and smiled.

"Well, you know Selena already got the part. Isn't that the main role?" she mumbled back sarcastically.

"I'm telling you. I'd much rather have you play Adelaide than Selena," he shot her a shy smile. She leaned back into her seat and tried to hold back the blush that was creeping up on her face. He parked the car in the empty school parking lot and the two made their way towards the auditorium.

They seemed to be right on-time as everyone was grouped around Selena. It took Miley a full second to realize that tears were rolling down Selena's cheeks.

Demi's eyes found the two as she gave Nick a warning glance and rushed over.

"Where were you? I called you like ten times," she snapped. Nick was taken aback as he looked at Selena in confusion.

"What happened?" Nick murmured as he raced over to Selena, completely forgetting that Miley had come in with him. Selena turned to him as clear drops of liquid sprinted across her face. She stumbled into his arms and sobbed dramatically. "Selena?" his voice was soft. Demi came up behind him and hugged Selena.

"Her grandfather died. She's going to New York for the funeral. For four weeks," Demi explained as she tried to control Selena. Miley's memory flickered back at Demi's mention of Selena's grandfather- the dean at Julliard. Nick sighed and engulfed Selena into a tighter hug.

"Wait, the play is in four weeks…" Miley heard a person murmur.

"Who's the understudy?" a clear voice asked. And is if on cue, everyone turned to look at Miley

**A/N I come in peace. This plot "event" is important to the story line, haha. It wasn't to catch you guys off guard or anything. Remember, the one thing that held the "Nelena" relationship strong was Nick's connection with Julliard. So, I had to kind of do something with that in order for the story to move along. And I don't know if I explained this well but both Nick and Miley have a free sixth period. That's why they always get to hang out alone and stuff. So, yeah. Wow, you guys were crazy with your reception for last chapter! I seriously got like 10 reviews in like half an hour. Haha, so yeah. Here's the chapter. I might be able to post tomorrow too! My favorite chapter is Ch. 12 so I can't wait to write that for you , and lots of Niley sexual tension in this chapter, huh?  
**


	10. Chapter 10

Miley was in Mr. Platt's corner office as he paced in front of his small desk.

"This would be your first lead role and not to mention your first play ever," he sounded up. The brunette looked timidly at the floor and shifted her weight from one foot to the other. She let wisps of hair fall down her tanned face to hide her shy expression.

He stroked his chin in thought and sighed as he leaned back onto the oaken desk.

"Do you think you can do it?" he asked, looking up at her. "I know you can, but what I want to know is do _you_ know you can."

"I-I don't think so," Miley confessed. Her blue eyes dulled as she admitted her insecurity. "Sorry," she whispered and turned towards the door.

"Miley, I think there's something you should know," his words slipped out as she reached for the doorknob. Curiosity became the best of her and she turned towards him.

"I-," his voice was cut off as the door opened abruptly and a curly haired boy rushed in. Nick panted as he placed his hands on his knees, clearly out of breath. "Mr. Lucas?" the teacher pronounced, hazed by the appearance of his number one drama student.

"Let her take the part," Nick gasped as he caught his breath. He wiped a bead of sweat of his forehead and took in a deep breath of air. "She deserves it," he continued.

"I think so too."

"She completely worked her ass- wait, what?" Nick's eyebrows were furrowed with confusion. He looked at Miley and tilted his head. "Then what are you guys still talking about?"

"It seems _she_ doesn't want the part," Mr. Platt held his thick glasses in frame and leaned back into his chair for full support as he saw Nick's face swallow with frustration.

"You don't want the part?" Nick turned towards the silent girl. He crossed his arms and peered closely into her features. Miley backed up into the wall and bit her lip as she was scrutinized by Nick's gaze.

"Why are you looking at me like that?" she defended herself. Nick threw his arms up in frustration and looked at Mr. Platt dubiously and then back to Miley.

"Are you out of your mind? You are ridiculously talented," Nick faced her as he ranted.

"Selena is way-," Miley tried to get out, but Nick seemed ready to attack her with words.

"Selena is in New York, Miley. You are the best chance this play has. You're perfect for the role and you know it. When I acted with you, I felt like we _really_ were Nathan and Adelaide on stage."

"But," Miley whimpered out. She was at a loss for words. Her eyes met his chocolate brown orbs and all her defenses melted down.

"Plus, it'll be fun. Demi is Sarah. I'm Nathan. You'll have fun," he reassured her. She darted her eyes frantically across the room, trying not to look him directly in the eye. "Come on," he reached for her soft fingers and stroked them.

"Okay," she sighed. She didn't like that she forfeited so easily but something about Nick had made her succumb to peer pressure. He gave her an encouraging smile. "Okay," she said a little stronger.

"Okay, I guess it's settled," Platt slammed his palms on his desk and perched forward, staring intensely at Nick. "I think you're making it a habit of sticking up for Miss Stewart here," he chuckled. There was tinge in his voice that hinted that Miley didn't know something- an underlying secret between the two guys.

"Whatever," Nick mumbled as he swung his hand on Miley's wrist. Within seconds, he dragged her out into the empty drama room. Everyone had already gone home and Selena was on a plane to New York.

"What was that about?" Miley asked once they were alone. Nick turned to her and shrugged off the question.

"Nothing. Do you need a ride home?" He lifted up his backpack effortlessly and glided over to her, grabbing her bag in the process.

"Yeah…" she trailed. He gave her a short nod and swung his keys into view. Miley followed him out the door and awkwardly dug her hands into her pockets.

If he didn't want to tell her, she wasn't going to pry it out of him. She would respect his privacy.

"What are you hiding?" the words flew out of Miley's mouth before she could think. They were entering the school's back parking lot now and the night was drifting among them.

"Nothing," Nick looked at her as he rolled his eyes. "Why do you think I'm hiding something?"

"Just the way Platt talked right now and just…" she couldn't quite place her finger on it but something about Nick was off. He opened the car door and they both got in. Miley buckled in her seatbelt and turned to look at Nick who was uncomfortably shifting his position.

"I think you're reading too much into things," Nick answered, putting his keys into the ignition and purposely not making eye contact with her.

"You sure I am?" she tried to verify his answer again. Nick sighed and rumbled the engine.

"Yes, Miley, I'm sure," he backed up out of the parking space. "You need to give me directions. I've never been to your house," he changed the subject as he exited the school.

"It's not that far from here."

"Then I should have made you walk," he joked. Nick twisted his head as Miley playfully scowled at him. She gave him a light push on the shoulder and stuck her tongue out.

"Shut up," she wittily retorted.

"Its' my car," he wise cracked back. Miley shook her head, watching Nick in the corner of her eye. He had a playful smirk that was currently dancing across his chiseled face.

"Left up here," Miley quickly shot out as he neared the traffic light. Nick skillfully changed lanes and turned. "So how's Selena?" she opted to go into a deeper conversation topic.

"She's okay for the circumstances and stuff. You know, it kind of sucks, but she's handling things pretty well," he explained.

"She looked so broken today," Miley shuddered as she recalled the vision she had seen earlier today. The whole group was consoling her until she decided to go to the airport right away. Miley guessed that Nick went with her to drop her off at the airport and then came back to school.

"Yeah, she was super close to him. She was crying all the way till the airport," he confessed. "Right up here?" he guessed as the road started to fork up. Miley nodded and Nick turned the steering wheel.

"You drove her to the airport?"

"Yeah, her family came with her luggage and I drove her," he kept his eyes on the road.

"Left up here," Miley said from memory as she saw the neighborhood opening. Nick nodded and turned into the suburb. He looked closely as she gave another direction to turn into another street.

"I rushed back and everyone said you were still in that meeting with Platt. I wanted to make sure you got the role," he gently confessed as she told him to pull over. She looked at him in silence and nodded softly.

"Thanks for the support," she responded.

"No problem," he replied. She gave him a gist of a smile and climbed out of the car. He rolled down his window as he watched her walk towards the door. She rang it and her mother opened up moments later.

Once he made sure she was inside safely, he gave her a nod goodbye and pressed the gas pedal. Miley watched as his car sped down her street.

"He's cute," Tish whispered as the mustang disappeared from view.

"I know. He has a girlfriend," Miley sighed, locking the door behind her.

**A/N first, sorry it took such a long time to update. My grandfather was in the hospital cause he fell and then my summer school class got canceled, and I really needed that class as a back plan just in case something happens to my college admission. Long story. It stems out of how anal my AP chem teacher was for my senior year. But yeah, I finally updated it! And guess waht? I moved chapter 12's events into chapter 11 (I basically switched the two chapters) SO THE NEXT CHAPTER IS BAM IN YO FACE kind of thing. I'm so excited. No one's guessed the twist so far and yeah, haha. this chapter drops a major hint on whats going to happen later on in the story and in the next chapter. So, I'm free tomorrow and the day after so read this chapter quick so I can update and finally get the next chapter out of my system (I'm really excited about it). And thanks for the 26 reviews last chapter. You all are so wonder full =D Oh, and thanks mrsjamespotter for the graduation congrats. And yeah, thats basically it. **

**Oh and don't forget to nominate for the NJKawards for your favorite stories. Go to twitter/njkawards for the info! Support your favorite authors!  
**


	11. Chapter 11

"Miley!" Tish's voice slammed into her room, penetrating the young girl's ears. The brunette tossed over and grumbled as her stomach hit the soft mattress. She turned her body around and laid flat on her bed.

"What?" Miley let her soft voice grumble from underneath the piles of comforters. She flicked her eyes open to see the streams of sunlight hitting the Saturday morning air. Her vision took a couple of seconds to clear up as she placed her feet onto the hardwood floor.

"Miley!" the voice boomed back in. The teenager grumbled and flipped her hair into a messy bun before scampering out into the hall.

"What?" she made sure her voice was iron strong with frustration.

"Someone's here for you," Tish came into view at the bottom of the staircase with a wide set of eyes. Miley slanted her eyebrows in confusion and peered down at her mom who was making random hand gestures towards the hidden family room.

"I think she's trying to tell you I'm here," a male voice supplied. And the voice was matched with a face as Nick's curly hair came into view. Miley was suddenly aware that she was donning her Scooby Doo pajamas and a messy bun.

"Nick!" her voice betrayed her surprise. She pressed her lips together in embarrassment and held up her finger. "One moment, I'll be uh- right out," she hurried. He nodded and she disappeared back into her bedroom, shutting the door behind her.

"What the hell is he doing here," she cursed under her breath. Her hands found their way to a fresh pair of skinny jeans and a plain white t-shirt. She pulled out her bun and let her hair cascade around down her face.

She took a quick look at the clock before climbing into a warm shower. The hot water hit her face as she freshened up quickly. Her natural looking makeup was already waiting to be applied once she stepped out of her steaming shower. She pulled on a white towel and let her damp hair hang down as she made her way back into the bedroom.

"Woah?" she heard Nick's voice in shock. She turned around to see him at her doorway as he was blushing furiously.

"What are you doing here?" Miley snapped, trying to hide the fact that she was blushing too. Nick paused as his eyes unknowingly wandered up and down her body. "Nick?" she questioned, snapping him out of his haze.

"Sorry, I thought-," he stammered and stumbled out, closing the door behind him. Miley giggled once he was gone, rolling her eyes in the process. She pulled on her jeans and blowed dried her brunette locks.

She took a couple of minutes before the mirror and then walked out to join Nick and her mom in the kitchen.

"My mom likes to cook pasta," Nick was speaking to Tish as her mother tip toed over the stove. She had her blonde hair in a bun and was looking at Nick through her peripheral vision.

"Miley likes pasta," Tish commented back. Nick smiled and turned his head to see the brunette silently eavesdropping near the doorframe. She bit her lip as their gazes met. She hung her shoulders low and trudged over towards him.

"Hey," he softly greeted her. Miley smiled, bearing her teeth. She slapped her hands on the counter and smirked at him.

"What are you doing here?" she chuckled, slipping into the bar stool next to him. She shook her head as he pointed towards her mom.

"Your mom is better company then you are. Did you know that?" he teased her. She nudged him back with her elbow. He gave her small smirk before returning a pleasant smile to Tish.

"Thank you, Nick. I like you," Tish pointed a spatula at him as he shrugged with confidence.

"What can I say? Everybody loves me," he grinned at Miley. She scoffed and tugged his elbow as she stood up from the stool.

"Why are you here?" she asked again with a slight, playful irritation. Nick reverted back into a semi serious mode.

"To practice lines," he waved a script in front of her. The stack of papers fanned her across the face as her hair blew back. "But I have to go in like an hour. My car is in the shop and my brother dropped me off."

"Okay, my scripts in my room," Miley responded, reminding the two of the earlier incident. And once again a blush rooted back into Nick's white cheeks. He pressed his lips together and rocked back and forth on his heels in an adorable manner.

"I think I'll stay down here this time," he awkwardly joked causing Miley to rumble with laughter. She nodded, bouncing her curls up and down. She climbed up the stairs and moments later returned with a full script in hand.

"Okay…" she trailed as she led him over to the couch in the living room. Nick sat down and rummaged through the scenes, eyeing which one was the most opportune for the moment. He flicked his eyes up for a second to see Miley rolling up her shirt.

"What are you doing?" he said in surprise. She chuckled and tied her shirt up around her mid drift section.

"Well, Adelaide has a lot of those burlesque scenes so I wanted to get in character as much as I could," she explained as though it was the most logical thing in the world. Her blue eyes were large with innocence as she didn't get his shock.

Nick's eyes widened as he glazed over her flat, toned stomach. He gulped down any feelings that were stirring up in the pit of his stomach.

"Yeah, um, lets uh-," he couldn't quite think straight as her shirt still revealed her tanned skin. He whipped his head towards the script and focused into the words, letting any images of Miley shake out of his head.

"What about this scene," Miley pointed her slender finger towards the opened page. "I kind of like it," she said with an air of finality to her voice. Nick took his hand and tugged down her shirt.

"You don't need that for this scene," he said, gaining back some composure that he had lost earlier. Miley grinned and crossed her legs getting into character. She pulled on a sad face and drowned herself in emotion.

She grabbed a book on her desk and opened it up, looking at it with a pout.

"Accent," Nick reminded her as she pulled herself in character. She looked at him with her mouth in a small frown.

"It says here the average unmarried female, basically insecure, due to some long frustration may react with psychosomatic symptoms," she sang as Adelaide. Nick doubled over with laughter as she put on a worried face, but his outburst didn't faze her as she plunged into her character.

"Difficult to endure affecting the upper respiratory tract," she sang in a strong voice, getting up from her spot on the couch and taking a full form of Adelaide. Nick leaned back as he watched her perform. She turned towards him and sang the lines effortlessly and not to mention completely a capella. If he wasn't blown away by her talent before, he sure was now.

She gave him a determined look as she went into the chorus. She was just about to put her complete all into it when the doorbell rang, finally breaking her out of character. She groaned and tossed her hair back.

"Let me get that," she gave him a pause and ran to the front of the house, impatiently unlocking her door- figuring it was just the mailman or someone. She swung the door open to meet a dark haired person.

"Hey…" the boy trailed- his eyes lighting up when Nick came into view behind her. Miley's head reeled back into a cycle of flashbacks as she saw the striking familiarity of the boy in front of her to past events.

She clearly saw the boys face as she remembered the figure in the back of the auditorium, watching Demi's performance closely. She remembered the flash of his figure as she heard Demi fighting with a mystery guy.

"Joe, I told you I'd come outside to meet you," Nick sounded out with sudden irritation. And then Miley's memory hit her with sudden force.

Joe. The name that was pronounced as she bubbled down those drinks that night.

She looked up at his face one more time as Nick dragged him out.

She remembered that face. She remembered seeing it as she playfully pinned him down on a bed.

**A/N So, this is by no doubt my favorite chapter so far. I loved writing it. Haha, I was so excited about it that I moved this chapter ahead in my sequence of events for the plot line. So, there you go. The mystery boy thing is solved. And I did drop hints that Demi dated Nick's brother..kind of. That's how Demi and Nick know each other so well, ahah...remember that conversation? I'm so nervous to see your guys' reactions. And to clear stuff up...this isn't the same secret that Nick and Mr. Platt share...it relates to this...sort of, but its something a little different. And there's another thing that Platt is hiding from everyone. But all these secrets are linked together so the story should start falling in place soon. Some ends should have been tied up by this chapter. Love you guys! (Oh, and I have a personal goal for this chapter. 30 reviews? Come on, we can do this!)**


	12. Chapter 12

Miley's eyes wandered around the empty school halls as she skidded from corner to corner. Her backpack swung from side to side as she darted to the theater room door. The bell had alerted her that she was late. Really late.

She grasped the door handle and tugged, tumbling into the classroom. Within that moment, Miley felt everyone's eyes grasp onto her figure. She slid down her eyelids and prayed that her classmate's attention would shift towards the teacher again.

"Miss Stewart," she heard the older voice speak. Miley internally groaned as she looked up at her instructor. "Nice of you to join us. Everyone, our lead in our new play," he directed his attention back to the class. "Please, take a seat," he added to Miley as a side note. She gave him a half hearted smile as he plunged back into his lecture.

The brunette rose on her tippy toes to see an empty chair on the other side of the room, back in the corner, and near the person she was desperately trying to avoid. Her eyes snapped around, begging to find another seat.

"You can sit over there," Mr. Platt pointedly stated. Miley gulped down her fears and walked towards the back corner. She silently sat next to the curly haired boy and drowned in her own self pity.

"Hey," Nick whispered, trying to break down the barriers of silence that she had set up since the other day.

"Not speaking to you," she bluntly replied. Nick held his gaze as she focused her glossy eyes onto Mr. Platt.

"Come on Miley," he tried to get in through Mr. Platt's pauses. "I'm sorry," he said desperately. Miley tugged back a hair strand and looked unfazed by his conversation. He tugged the hem of her shirt, trying to get her attention.

"You don't stop do you?" she hissed. She crossed her arms in hopes of a bitter reflection. He shook his head and laid his hand softly on her arm, tugging her out of her stance. "What?" she dared to meet him in the eyes.

"I'm-," but of course he was interrupted before he could get anything out.

"Mr. Lucas," Platt sounded up rather harshly. "What did I just say?" he looked at Nick curiously. The shy boy bit his lip and gulped as the class' stares met his brown eyes.

"Trust circle exercises," he lamely said, catching what was written on the board.

"Nice save," Miley muttered under her breath. He smirked as he watched the teacher mumble on his own words.

"Okay, partner up," he shrilled, allowing himself to gasp a breath of air not missing a beat. "Nick and Miley, you're together since you're Adelaide and Nathan," he shouted before Miley could dart across the room towards Lily.

"Guess I got lucky," he joked as he stepped closer to her back. Miley let out a low grumble and sulked around.

"Well, we already know I don't trust you anymore," she crossed her arms and leant to the side a bit to give off a bit of diva attitude. Nick groaned and rested his hand on her forearm as he tugged her closer. "Stop," she ordered. He rolled his eyes and spun her around.

His fingers clung to the bare parts of her shoulders (where her tank top didn't cover). She felt them brush against her skin as he let go.

"Okay, now on the count of three. Inside circle, fall," Platt instructed carefully. He eyed the distance between everyone and nodded, sticking out three fingers. He bent each finger as he pronounced the number. Miley saw his third finger bend and she heard him say "three", but she didn't shift her weight.

"Miley…" Nick trailed once he realized she was still standing upright. She whipped around and bit her lip.

"I really don't trust you, Nick," she said softly, allowing her eyes to blur in truth. Nick's eyebrows scrunched together as he sighed. She shrugged and gritted her teeth silently. She was well aware that everyone was switching places so that the other person could fall.

"Okay," he replied just as softly and switched his spot with her.

She stared quietly at his back and waited for the countdown. For a split second, she actually thought he would pull the same thing that she had, but instead, he fell swiftly into her arms- without any hesitation. She caught him and he shifted up his weight again.

"I know you have a reason to not trust me," he turned around, fixing his shirt a bit. She dropped her eyes as the long awaited explanation was coming. "I'm sorry I didn't tell you that," he wanted to word this carefully. "That what happened that night was with my brother. I just figured if you didn't remember then that was a good thing."

"But instead I look like the idiot when I do remember," she added on. She took in a deep breath and tilted her head- demanding another answer.

"I didn't think that far into it," his voice was now at barely a whisper. The rest of the class was shuffling around and Mr. Platt was making individual pairs perform the exercise again.

"So, you're excuse is you didn't think?"

"Yeah," he said automatically. Once he saw her face change, his answer rapidly switched sides. "I mean no?" he asked desperately.

"Make up your mind, Nick," she raised her eyebrows and reached for her back pack. He sighed in frustration and took her hand.

"I'm sorry," he focused his gaze to her eyes. His words were spelled with simple sincerity. "I was an idiot," he added for safety.

"Was?" she asked after a moment as her eyes gave away the joke.

"Fine," he rolled his eyes playfully. "I am still an idiot. A sorry idiot, though," his fingers grazed across her fingers. She bit her bottom lip and looked away for a second to gather up her thoughts.

"I bet your brother thinks I'm the devil," she sighed, her eyes still averted from his brown orbs. She heard his light chuckle and flicked her vision back onto him. He gently let go of her hand and shook his head.

"My brother is an idiot and he knows it's not your fault. If it's anyone it's his. He was way more sober and he had a girlfriend who _you_ didn't know about." He paused as he waited for Miley to respond. She sucked in her bottom lip and sighed dramatically in defeat. "So, do you forgive me," he asked cheekily.

"Yeah…I guess," she added without thinking. He gave her a satisfied smile and was about to add something before the bell rang. She gripped her backpack and headed towards the door.

"Costume rehearsals after school," Mr. Platt called out to them as they stepped outside. Miley gave him a short nod of understanding and slipped out of the classroom. "Miley!" he called again, the sound hitting the rim of her ears. She groaned and turned around, followed by a trailing Nick.

"Is this comfortable for you," Mr. Platt tugged out the school costume for Adelaide. It was a highly decorated costume that ran a bit short. "We can release the hem line to make it longer. It's just for a couple of scenes."

"You're wearing that?" Nick gulped down. He turned his eyes towards her and ran his brown orbs up and down her body.

"Its fine," Miley shrugged it off and turned around. "Three after school, right?" she verified before ducking out of the classroom. The two guys nodded and she flashed out. Before Nick could catch up with her, she was already turning the corner to get to her next class.

She took a quick look at her backpack and deterred her attention from where she was walking. And before she knew it, she collided with another body.

"Sorry," she gasped out before she had a chance to look up.

"No it's cool," she heard a male voice. She cocked her head up to see Joe standing in front of her. "Actually," he started but was drowned out by the bell. Miley stood still and waited for him to finish. "I was wondering if we could talk like, during lunch or something."

"Uh, yeah," she responded quickly. He gave her a short nod and walked off, leaving Miley in an empty hallway and a completely awkward moment to remember.

**A/N gah, I know its been awhile...sorry, my hand started to hurt and apparently I had tendonitis (which I have a usual case of...I have weak hands /= ) But yeah...but good news 35 freaking reviews last chapter! That's my highest review count...get this...ever! I love you guys. Hopefully you guys still love this story even after like 10 days of not updating..sorry about that. Review and let me know what you think! Oh, and the next chapter...is going to have a very hot and bothered Nick and something you guys have been waiting for...that's four letters and...uh yeah. Okay, PEACE OUT. **


	13. Chapter 13

Miley's fingers plucked the loops of her jeans and she dragged the material down. Her right hand clasped the flimsy frock that was thrown uselessly on the stall door.

"I think it'll fit," Miley mused out loud. She heard Demi shuffling around in the stall next to hers as she plunged into her own costume.

"I don't think you have a choice," Demi grumbled as she zipped up her dress. "Hurry up!" she shouted as she slammed the door close. Miley winced as Demi pounded her way through the restroom. She heard the girl's boots scrape the tiles and cling onto them without mercy as the raven haired girl trudged with anger.

"What's your problem?" Miley sounded off from the stall, grabbing her dress quickly. She tossed it over her head and tugged the material down, letting her arms find their way into the side holes.

"My problem?" Demi hissed back. Miley could see Demi whip around in a sharp movement through the crack of the stall door. Demi crossed her arms and impatiently tapped her foot as she waited for her companion to dress herself.

Miley finally opened the stall door a couple moments later and stepped out with her hair in a complete mess.

"My problem is that YOU just can't stop. Can you?" Demi's eyes glared with anger. Her nostrils flared and her voice was rising. Miley stumbled back in shock as she clung to the bathroom door.

Demi walked up to the mirror and fixed her own hair as she watched Miley stand awkwardly waiting for Demi's upcoming rant. "I saw you and Joe during lunch," Demi said quietly. Her voice was still and deadly as she turned around, leaning against the counter.

"It isn't what you think," the brunette's voice was strained as she walked over to her friend. She looked at Demi with pleading eyes and held her gaze.

"I forgave you. And even that was on thin ice. This…," Demi motioned towards the two. "Will never be the same," she hissed. She gave Miley one last look and clutched her bag before leaving. "By the way, you already are a slut. You don't need to dress the part," she added in anger as she stormed out.

"How did this day turn upside down," Miley groaned. She looked towards the bathroom mirror and eyed her dress- the dress that stopped at least a good seven inches above her knees. She turned around and looked at the length in the back and gave out another low groan. She tugged the end of the dress down but the material bounced right back up.

She grabbed her bag and fixed her hair into a better ponytail as she slipped out of the restroom.

"Demi wait up," she bounded down the halls toward the angry girl. She caught her breath before sputtering out the words she needed to say. "I deserved the slut comment. I deserved it when I first met you. But you got to listen to me."

"No I really don't," Demi cut in. She sighed and picked up her pace as the two made their way over to the auditorium. Miley tugged Demi's elbow and turned the stubborn girl around .

"Listen," Miley insisted. Demi rolled her eyes, earning another tug from Miley. "You don't need to forgive me right now. But you have to listen to me. Joe and I talked about the other night. It was good closure- especially because I couldn't remember anything."

"That's a shocker," Demi sarcastically added into the conversation. Miley gave her a hard glare and continued on.

"He's a good guy Demi. This whole thing was just a mistake," she added in softly.

Demi lifted up her eyes and raised her eyebrows in deliberation. "What else did you guys talk about? Did you talk about me?" she asked in anticipation, darting her eyes around.

"He's going to have to tell you himself. But you have to give him a chance to," Miley explained. Demi scoffed and turned on her heal. "Demi!"

Demi sighed and turned around again. They were almost near the auditorium and they were already running a little late for dress rehearsals.

"Look, Miley. I know I'm over reacting. But just leave me alone for a couple of days and we can pick this up later. Okay?" she asked in exasperation. She threw looks toward the auditorium, signaling that they had to go.

"We can fix this though, right?" the brunette asked in fear. Demi looked away for a couple of seconds and bit her lip. She finally nodded and Miley gave her a soft hug. "I never meant to hurt you," she whispered as she let go.

Miley swore she heard her friend grumble a soft "I know" as the girl stalked away. Miley trailed behind Demi and walked in towards the auditorium. Mr. Platt was bouncing up around the stage in midst of an energetic discussion.

"These moments are the things the audiences live for," he blasted out. Miley found her way towards an empty seat next to Nick. He gave her a small nod.

"Where were you?" he whispered, getting a glimpse of the clock and exactly how late she was. Miley quickly sat down, placing her backpack to cover her bare legs.

"Fight with Demi," she explained. He cocked his eyebrow in question and she sighed. "I talked to Joe during lunch-,"

"About what?" he cut her off with wide eyes.

"None of your business. It's Joe's secret," Miley glared at him. "The point is she was mad," Miley said in frustration. She pushed her backpack off her legs in annoyance and crossed her arms. Nick's eyes automatically wandered towards her bare legs that were neatly crossed. He gulped as he saw her tanned skin go on endlessly.

"What are you looking at?" she teased; glad to have a change in topic. She inched towards him rubbed her leg against his. "Have you ever seen legs before?" she smirked. He gave her an annoyed eye roll and focused his attention on stage.

"So the first kiss scene we're practicing today- Nathan and Adelaide's wedding scene!" the instructor clapped his hands joyously and pointed towards the duo.

"What?" Nick sounded off hoarsely. "What about Skye and Sarah," he looked up towards the stage in desperation.

"Because I said so. They'll have theirs in a moment," Platt scolded gently. Nick bit his lip and walked slowly towards the stage. He kept his eyes focused on the ground as Miley walked before him.

She tossed him a look to find him shyly looking at the ground. She smirked as she realized the effect she unknowingly had on him. She swung her hips a little harder just to tease him a bit more. He kept his eyes trained towards the ground, catching a glimpse of the bottom of her dress bouncing up and down, revealing a bit more skin each time.

"I think the dress is too short," he whispered to her as he climbed up the stage steps.

"That's part of the character," she winked back at him. They made their way towards the center of the stage and Nick dug his hands in his pockets.

"Okay, get in character!" Mr. Platt demanded as they got in position.

"Can you give us a minute," Nick turned around as his cheeks flushed with embarrassment. He turned his face from the audience and faced the back of the theater. Miley held in a giggle as she watched everyone's confused faces.

"You never had a problem with acting?" Mr. Platt asked in worry. "Are you feeling okay, Nick?"

"Yeah, I'm fine," he coughed out. He turned back around and let out a deep breath of air. "Just a head ache," he lied. He gave Miley a warning glance.

"Okay, now practice the stage kiss," Mr. Platt instructed. Nick stepped in awkwardly and held out his hand. Miley built her lip seductively just to play with his mind. Nick grabbed his collar and adjusted it as her teasing got to him. He concentrated his eyes at her forehead and stroked her hand.

Miley gently took his hand and sucked in a long breath. She liked having a little control over him and she like watching him squirm. He looked so uncomfortable and she felt on a high.

"Can you stop that," he whispered as their lips inched closer. She looked straight into his eyes and blinked. His brown orbs pulled into her blue ones and suddenly she was captivated. She wasn't thinking about pulling his leg and making him feel uncomfortable. No, instead, her eyes made their way down to his soft pink lips.

She blinked and their lips were closer. A magnetic force tugged their bodies closer and Nick's arms made it around her waist. His hot breath skimmed across her face and she felt their noses brush against each other.

He felt his head swarm with an unusual high and from the look in her eyes; he could see that she was dazed too. The distance slowly decreased and their lips were about to touch.

**A/N Its officially been two months since this story started and I posted the first chapter. Haha. Random. But thank you guys for all the support! Seriously I get at least like 20 reviews every chapter and its awesome. I love reading your guys' reaction. And with this story I hit 35 reviews for the HUGE chapter. I love you guys soo much. I love writing this story. We still have like 9 chapters to go so its starting to wrap itself up and untie a couple of things. I know I didn't tell you what Joe and Miley talked about...but you have to keep waiting for that. And I ended the chapter purposely there. Just to mess with you guys =P. So what do you say. 25 reviews this chapter? I think we can do it. If you really want that kiss...or not. Hhaha. And...what else do I want to say...oh YEAH**...**next chapter Joe's "secret" is spilled and Nick does something very...impulsive? The two are linked so try figuring it out. **


	14. Chapter 14

Within moments, Nick's mouth met hers and they moved together in sync. Miley gently released her grip from his arms and moved her hands towards his neck as he wrapped her into a tighter embrace. He took the initiative and gently swiped his tongue on her bottom lip, asking for entrance and luckily she obliged.

Their tongues were swept into their own world as they met each other. They embraced, they talked, and they danced, getting lost within the quick minutes. It was not until Mr. Platt let out a low cough that Miley pulled away. Nick's arms were still around her as they turned towards their instructor.

"Now, that's a kiss," he directed his lecture towards the audience. Miley could suddenly feel everyone's eyes glued onto the couple. Her cheeks warmed up and she gently pushed Nick away. He stumbled off of her and dug his hands in his pockets as he ducked back to his seat. She trailed after him and quietly sat down.

Demi and Sterling went up after they took their seats. Miley trained her eyes on her friend and tried avoiding Nick's frantic glances over at her. She gulped down the memory of the kiss and quickly snatched her phone. She had to tell Emily what had happened.

It was then that she saw she already had a message. On the glossy screen, Joe's number popped up. Miley rolled her eyes and opened up the text message quickly.

_Everything set up?-Joe._ Miley replied with agitation and opened up a fresh new text to Emily. Her fingers skimmed over the clean keyboard and she expressed the confusion she was currently feeling.

_I just kissed Nick…stage kiss, but it was a kiss /=-Milerzzzz. _She stuffed her phone in her back pocket of the dress and looked up to see Demi and Sterling separate from their kiss. Mr. Platt made a couple of comments and the two made their way down the stage again.

"Miley," Nick turned to her to get her attention, but she was already standing up ready to grab her bag. "Wait up!" She paused and grabbed her phone as it vibrated, signaling Nick to stand still.

_Miley?-Joe. _Yet another text from Joe- she groaned as she realized he would incessantly nag her until this whole thing blows over.

_Working on it -_- -Miley_. She let out a frustrated sigh as she sent the text. She looked up to see Nick quietly waiting for her. By now, everyone had exited the auditorium and cleared out their stuff.

"What do you want," she snapped accidentally. She didn't mean to let her annoyance seep into another brother. Nick raised his eyebrows in a cocky fashion

"Someone's a little feisty," he joked. She gave him an annoyed smirk and turned her back towards him, walking out of the theater. "Where are you going?"

"Drama room," she answered automatically. She tiptoed intp the hall looking different directions as though she was looking for someone.

"Well, I thought maybe we can run lines in the near future or something?" Nick prodded along as he caught up to her. She was walking in a fast pace and it was hard to keep up with her as she was so determined to keep up the speed. "Are you looking for someone?" he huffed out getting clearly out of breath.

Miley picked up a light jog and turned the corner towards the lockers. She pressed her weight on her toes as she lifted herself up to see the hallway a bit clearly.

"Uh, not really," she said with some distraction. She looked at Nick in a light haze and her eyes darted their way down to his lips. She was lost in a moment of thought until she shook her head. "What were you saying?"

"We should probably get married since you took away my lip virginity," he answered without skipping a bit. She glared at him and walked right past him.

"Loser. Seriously, what were you saying?" she asked, pushing through the drama room door. She went towards the corner and grabbed a rolled up banner that was neatly tucked away in the back.

"We should run lines together soon," he replied. She nodded her head absentmindedly and started tugging the rubber band off the rolled up bundle. "What are you doing?"

"Nothing," she whipped her head in his direction and focused her energy on him. "Sorry, I'm listening this time." Her phone sounded off right on cue and she sighed. "Just give me a second. This is important."

"I'm trying to tell you something," he grabbed her arm and tugged her towards him. Miley was utterly confused as his frustration sputtered out.

"What Nick? I heard you…we need to run lines," she responded. He was egging her closer and their bodies didn't have much space between them.

"Not that. I need to say something else," he looked down as though he was being weighed down by a big secret. He looked at her long tan legs and shut his eyes, closing himself off to temptation. "The kiss," he began and looked up into her eyes so he wouldn't get distracted by the rest of her body.

"What about it," she stuttered as she met him in the eyes. Nick's breathing got harder and he suddenly looked so flushed.

"It was-," but before he could get anything out, the drama door opened and Nick sighed. He hated being interrupted- especially when he was finally getting the courage to say something.

"Why are you guys still here?" Demi said as she walked in. She looked pointedly at Nick's arm that gently gripped Miley's slender fingers.

"Demi could you give us a moment?" Nick asked rather harshly. His words cut through the air with anxiety. He was eager to get his feelings out and Demi had interrupted the perfect moment.

"No!" Miley shouted almost too eagerly. Demi eyed her suspiciously and Nick's face fell a couple of notches. She shot him an apologetic look and hoped he would understand. "I just need to talk to Demi," she explained.

"Miley," Demi warned. "I thought we agreed to talk about this later," she shot Miley a glance. The brunette completely ignored her friend and pranced towards the girl.

"No, not that. I was just wondering…if…you could give me acting tips." There was something in Miley's voice that made this whole situation comical, but Demi couldn't quite put her finger on it.

"You don't need acting tips, Miley," she said with a strained voice. She rolled her eyes and shot a confused glance towards Nick who didn't seem to know what was wrong with the brunette either.

"Yes, I do," Miley shot back- her voice a little higher than it was before. She grinned at Demi in a sort of maniacal fashion. "And singing help," she added as an afterthought. Demi narrowed in her gaze at the girl and tilted an eyebrow. Miley's phone sounded off again and the brunette pulled it out without a thought.

"On a second thought," Miley gasped as she glanced at her phone. "You know time is such a valuable thing these days. I'll just go..." she trailed awkwardly. She gave Nick a glance and grabbed the poster that she had been looking at earlier.

"You're really off today, Miley," Demi commented, turning her back on the duo and heading straight towards Mr. Platt's desk. Miley didn't waste a second as she tugged the rubber band off the poster and sent a quick text from her phone. She handed Nick one side of the banner and tugged it out, facing Demi. "I mean seriously," Demi turned around in thought and her eyes widened at the sight.

Nick looked down at the poster to see exactly what Miley had gotten him into. His eyes skimmed over the words- _Will you go to prom with me?_

"You're asking her to prom?" Nick asked in confusion. Miley shook her head in laughter and he came back to his senses as he heard the drama room door open behind him. He shifted his eyes at Demi who had her jaw hanging down. He tilted his body to get a good look at Joe, who was holding a nice bouquet of roses.

"Hey, Dems," Joe quietly stated. He stood awkwardly at the door. It was after a moment of silence that Joe took initiative and walked past Nick and Miley towards Demi. "I know I made a huge mistake, but I have tried apologizing for it over and over again. I was drunk and that still isn't an excuse, but I'm willing to do whatever it takes. I'm not saying forgive me right now but just uh, start letting me make it up to you," it seemed as though he let it all out in one breath. "Let's just go as friends," he added to reduce her confusion.

"Yeah, sure," Demi replied after moments of thought. She gave him a small smile and a light hug before taking the flowers. "Only as friends," she warned. He nodded, fully understanding what that statement entailed.

Miley started rolling up the poster as she began from her side and met Nick. He grabbed her arm before she could take his side of the poster and steadily gazed into her eyes.

"Will you go to prom with me?" he asked- completely dead serious.

**A/N I forgot to mention. This story goes all the way until graduation, by the way. So, it includes prom and all that fun stuff =P. Um...30 FREAKING REVIEWS LAST CHAPTER. I was going to reply to reviews last chapter...and I think I still will ,but I got side tracked today. My life is finally back to normal and back on track. So yeah, 7 more chapters of this story to goooooooooooo. Tell me what you guys think! Love you guys and thanks for the support! Oh, and as I wrap up some details let me know if I'm forgetting anything you want to know. And remember this is your story too, so I hope you're enjoying it!**


	15. Chapter 15

Miley was sifting through the costumes as the room around her bustled into motion. Everyone was setting up the makeup counters for this week's first show. Everything had to be perfected before the final rehearsals swung into gear and the curtains finally opened. She sighed as she ripped a thread off the bottom of her dress. She was too dazed into her own her world that she hadn't even heard Nick's footsteps as he reached out to break her trance.

"Hey," he chuckled at the startled Miley. She gave him a look and dropped the fabric from her hands. The two walked away from the clothing rack and Miley gently rubbed her arm. "Did you pick out a dress yet?"

"Silly Nick, costumes are given to you. The actors don't pick them out," she teased. He furrowed his eyebrows until he caught onto what she was doing.

"Fine, did you buy your _prom_ dress yet?" he asked a bit more clearly this time. He boxed her into a small corner so she didn't have much room to escape his question. Her silence was a steady reply. "Miley, I have to match," he groaned.

"Pick out whatever and I'll match to you," she reasoned. She turned her back and checked out Adelaide's makeup station to see if everything was set in place. Her fingers trailed along the eye-shadow, lipstick, and blush that were neatly group together near the corner of the mirror.

"That's not how it works," he retorted. He inched closer to her. It was to his realization that he noticed that they were getting much closer over the course of their time spent together. And he couldn't deny the force that kept tugging him towards her.

"Maybe with Selena, but I do things differently. Plus, this isn't a big deal- people just make it out to be more than it is," she turned around towards him and comfortably leaned on her table. "You should probably check if your stuff is all set up," she nodded at the chair that was inches away from her. He ignored her comment and leaned on the chair in front of her, putting all his weight on his arms as he slanted in towards her.

"Get your dress," he demanded. "I did my part," he grinned and pulled the tickets out of his back pocket. Her eyes met the classic design that was scribbled all over the paper. She pulled one out of his grasp and eyed it with curiosity

"The senior prom," she gasped out. She looked at the theme written in italics- _Casino Night_. "When I was little, I imagined that I would be going with someone much better looking," she mischievously looked up to see Nick's reaction. He was shaking his head at the insult. "Oh, relax," she ruffled his curls. "Did you tell Selena you were taking me yet…as a friend I mean?" she asked randomly.

"No," he groaned. "I actually haven't even talked to her since she left," he confessed. He took a seat in the chair and ran his fingers through his curls. "Plus, I doubt she'd understand. I mean we're just friends," he looked up at her softly. Miley was looking down at her converse, avoiding his gaze.

"Yeah," she choked out. She looked at him softly and their eyes met for a matter of seconds. "Is that all we are?" Her curiosity got the best of her. He bit his bottom lip and reached out for her hand and in that split second he was sure everything was going to wrap itself up, but fate was a funny thing sometimes.

"Miley, start your dance rehearsals!" Platt hollered from the front of the classroom as he bustled in with random props. He laid down everything and grabbed a paint bucket as he walked out. "I want your scenes to be perfect," he hollered as he left.

"I guess I have to go," Miley stated quickly. She waited an awkward moment for Nick to speak up, but he never did. She grabbed her bag and walked out the door leaving Nick to quietly sit by himself. He felt as though things were racing through his head and he didn't quite know exactly what he wanted. He was acting on impulse and he needed time to think.

Miley on the other head was walking around with a clear head. She walked herself into the auditorium where Demi was already prepping a song.

"Hey," the brunette mumbled as she scrambled onto the stage. She straightened out her shorts and the flannel she was wearing. "You sound good," she commented. Demi placed the mic into the mic stand and went to join her friend. The two dangled their legs over the edge of the stage and sat solemnly.

"What's up?" Demi was the first one courageous enough to break the silence. People were bustling around in the work shop that was situated on the left of the stage. Last minute props were being made and painted up. Miley could smell the fresh paint that was being used.

"Nick's confused," Miley answered. She looked at Demi with all the trust she could muster. "I don't know what he feels and its getting to be frustrating."

"Well," Demi's wise attitude was already displaying itself. "I think that he hasn't seen Selena in like a month and when he talks to her again his head will be cleared up. What he really wants will show up then," she leaned onto Miley's shoulder and gave her friend a soft smile.

"That's wise stuff," Miley bitterly spat back. She slumped in her own misery and wiped her eyes around the stage. "I thought you were all for Selena and Nick," she retorted.

"Nah, I'm team Niley," Demi grinned as she got up. Miley gave her a look and her eyes widened.

"You gave us a couple name?" she asked in disgust. Demi giggled and pranced away from Miley who was ready to chase her friend down. They shoved each other until they were left in a fit of giggles. "You are so weird," Miley added through her laughter.

Demi broke out of her giggles and looked at Miley with a hint of seriousness on her face. She bit her lip before deciding to say something. "Thank you," she randomly stated. Miley looked at her in confusion and she proceeded to explain, "For the whole helping Joe thing. I'm sorry I over reacted like that."

"It's okay," Miley smiled. "I have to practice the dances," she groaned, getting into place on the stage. She bopped her head to the beat and started rehearsing the choreography that she could remember. Demi joined in on the dances that she knew and the two practiced their parts.

"You're pretty much ready," Demi stated as the two girls ran out of breath. Miley nodded. She bundled up her hair into a loose bun and grabbed a water bottle from her bag.

"I sure hope so," she retorted back. Demi stretched herself and walked towards the workshop with Miley trailing behind her. "Do you think everything's going to go smoothly?" she questioned as her nerves started to act up.

"No, something always goes wrong," Demi shrugged nonchalantly. "That's the best thing about a show," she grinned. The paint buckets were being put away and the unfinished props were stored on the top shelf. Sterling was near the sink as he was washing his hands frantically. "Woah, slow down there boy," Demi chuckled to her costar.

"Drama," he let out as he started drying up his hands. Demi scrunched her eyebrows as Miley busied herself in a seat.

"Of course we're in drama…" Demi wittily scoffed. He looked at her and started for the back door.

"No, I mean drama…Selena's back," he replied. And those were the words that rang through Miley's ears when she darted her look towards Demi. The two gave each other a confused glance until their sense caught up to them.

"She's back…?" Miley asked slowly. Demi shrugged and the two darted out of the room with curiosity and ran through the halls. They made their way expertly through the school and rounded into the theater room.

And sure enough, their eyes became familiar with a young girl who was coated with people around her. Selena was bubbling in excitement as she recounted her adventures in New York. Her face drew in displeasure as they asked about her grandfather and she recalled the memory of the funeral. She had a Julliard brochure which she handed to Nick in the midst of the whole discussion.

"Demi," she squealed and Miley's eye caught her making a beeline over to where they were standing. Selena engulfed Demi into a warm hug. "I missed you so much," she closed her eyes as she practically suffocated her best friend.

"I missed you too, Sel," Demi genuinely smiled. "Glad to have you back," she murmured. She shot a glance at Miley who had her head hung low. Within moments, Platt came barging into the theater room with a smile on his face.

"Selena!" he shouted with joy. The young girl gave him a bright smile and grinned.

"So can I have my part back?" she asked the first question that came to her mind. And for once that day (even that week), the whole room fell silent and Platt stood still.

**Woahhhh, two updates in two days? The reason is I'm going out of town tomorrow morning till like Sunday. Haha, so sorry I left with a huge cliffhanger but Platt's secret gets revealed in the next chapter and then yeah...everything just starts tying itself up. 6 more chapters left! We're almost there. And I replied to as many reviews as I possibly could for the last two chapters so hopefully I got you =D. And guess what? We're almost to 300 reviews! We're 7 away. And we passed Dollhouse in Story Favorites. There's around 63 favorites right now and my goal is 100 by the time the story ends =D (Ambitious, huh?) So, let me know what you think...what platt will do...what will hapen to Niley and if you like the story. Love you guys!**


	16. Chapter 16

"Selena," Platt raised his eyebrows in question. He nervously looked over at Miley who was occupied with her own fingernails. The eager girl in front of him sat with pleading eyes and an angelic smile.

"Come on, you know I know this play backwards and forwards. _Guys and Dolls_ is like a classic, which I've personally even seen on Broadway," she popped her shoulders up and gave everyone around her a satisfied, arrogant smirk.

"Selena I don't think I can…" Mr. Platt trailed as his eyes shifted towards Miley. She leaned against the wall with her arms crossed and her weight upon the building.

"You can't just come in here and demand your part back," everyone heard the soft mumble from the brunette. Miley stood still though, although her voice betrayed her poise. She looked at the dubious Selena who was obviously flared up with anger from the statement.

"What did you just say?" the perfectionist argued back. Her nostrils flared up a bit and her face expanded with annoyance. Miley, however, raised her eyes to meet her at eye level and recalled a bit of confidence she had gained in the past few weeks.

"Girls," Mr. Platt sounded out. He eyed the two suspiciously and gave out a low grumble. He looked at Selena whose innocent image was back up on display. His eyes flickered through the silent crowd. Everyone's faces held onto a grim, solemn image as the awaited his final decision. "Let me think for a couple of minutes," he sighed out finally.

"That's not fair," Nick murmured. He crossed Platt's eyes as everyone stared at the two. Platt narrowed in his eyes and the two had a flicker of a conversation. The teacher nodded his head and left towards his office, slamming his door shut.

"Nick," Demi reasoned as he kicked the carpet out of anger. He looked at her and shared a knowing look. Selena made her way toward the crowd and clung onto his shoulder.

"Thanks for standing up for me, Nicky," she nuzzled her head into his chest. Miley looked into his eyes, but he was automatically staring at Demi whose gaze was widened a couple of notches.

"Sel, we should catch up," Demi linked her arm with her best friend and tugged her off of Nick. He breathed out a sigh of relief as the two girls turned around. Demi twisted her head and mouthed something hazy to Nick before dragging Selena out of the classroom.

"What was that about," Sterling joked uncomfortably with Nick. The curly haired boy shrugged and lifted his eyes up to meet Miley's. Her sparkling blue orbs hit his eyes with a hard gaze and narrowed in on his features. Nick bravely stood upright and walked towards her.

"Hey," he decided to speak first. Miley gave him a confused look and furrowed in her eyebrows, causing gentle creases all over her forehead.

"What were you and Demi eye talking about?" she asked almost automatically. "And Platt. You were standing up from me weren't you?" she looked deep into his eyes, hoping to find a flicker of emotion that she could use to figure this all out.

"Yeah," he mumbled almost quietly. He looked towards Platt's office and looked at Miley again- there was something in his eyes, almost like a secret.

"What are you hiding," she whispered- this time knowing she wouldn't get a full answer. He looked up at her and shook his head.

"It's nothing. Honest," he replied back. She bit her lip and was about to open her mouth, but decided against it. Whatever it was, he was obviously not going to share it. She looked around the room almost timidly and set her eyes back onto Nick.

"You know before this," she motioned towards the room and the people it was filled with. She looked at the makeup counters and the costumes longingly. "I was in the worst place of my life. People were talking behind my back and every day I woke up, I didn't want to go to school."

"Miley," Nick said sensitively, but she was ready to explain the catharsis she had felt these last couple of months.

"I was so bitter. And then Platt gave me a detention and I thought it was just another annoyance in my life, but…" she looked at Nick. Her eyes were almost giving away and the dam opened up, letting a flood of emotions rush through. "It wasn't. This is probably the best thing that has happened to me I high school."

"Mi," he said softly- the first time he had ever called her by a pet name, but it felt so natural rolling off his tongue. He let his arms wrap around her as she crumbled in.

"I don't want to lose this," she whimpered. She wasn't crying, but she was feeling desperate. She had worked so hard and she was born for this part. It gave her everything and so much more. It gave her the confidence that she desperately needed back- the confidence she had lost as everyone turned against her and trash talked her. And most of all- she was finally happy.

"You won't," Nick promised. He sighed and let go of her. There was something he was about to say, but he knew that he wouldn't be able to take it back if he let it all out- and that's what stopped him.

Platt's door opened up with a creak as the old man stepped out. He looked frustrated as his hair was in a gentle mess- probably from the fact that he had run his hands through the gel as he paced back and forth over his decision. He beckoned Miley closer and cleared his throat to speak.

"Someone get Selena," he croaked out with a dry throat. His command was soft and clear and a bunch of people bustled in their seats until Nick finally volunteered. He made his way out of the theater room and stepped outside. A few moments later, Selena entered with Demi and without Nick. She looked at Platt with a soft smile.

"What's up?" she asked in an almost cheerful voice. Platt nodded to her and signaled the two main girls to enter his office. Miley followed in quietly as the two entered in before her. She closed the door after her and Platt sat on his chair, looking at the two girls quietly.

"What's your decision," Selena opted to break the silence first. Platt looked at her and looked down guiltily.

"Miley will be playing the part," he breathed out with finality. Selena's jaw dropped down as she gasped in surprise. Her eyes boiled as they darted towards the brunette who was sighing in relief.

"She's playing the part?" Selena slapped back. She pressed her weight down on the table and leaned in with anger. She eyed Platt suspiciously. "If you don't think I can prepare on time. I can. I've seen this play a billion times and I have acted it three times."

"Selena, that's definitely not the reason," Platt stated awkwardly. His face folded down and Miley could see the same look he had when he looked at Nick in the classroom- it was a look of guilt. It was the type of guilt that you couldn't easily suppress.

. "What's the reason?" Selena coldly snapped. She looked at the teacher with anger. "I mean I've done so much for this theater. I've starred in _every_ one of your plays. And this is how you repay me?"

"Selena," Mr. Platt replied a little bit more boldly than before. She was taken aback by his voice and slowly back tracked the approach she was taking.

"I'm sorry," she controlled her temper. "I just don't get it," she added in confusion. "I mean I'm perfect for the part."

"Unless you weren't," Miley added up the thoughts in her head and she looked at Mr. Platt for confirmation. He held his head down.

"What is she talking about?" Selena asked, her face falling with all shades of hopelessness. Her face itched with curiosity as she eyed Mr. Platt. Miley backed into the wall with understanding and the room stood eerily silent.

"Miley was supposed to get the part," he added finally, breathing out what had been bothering him for weeks. "She was the original Adelaide," he added to completely clarify his thoughts. Selena pumped her fist on the table.

"What do you _mean_?" she narrowed in her eyes. She was being held by a thin strand as her reality came toppling down. Her shoulders slumped as she began to realize that she was beaten out…in theater- the place she had called home.

"The final part came down to the two of you. And Miley was better," he bit his lip as he wondered how to phrase this. "But I ended up picking you because…" he looked at Miley as she was waiting for her explanation.

"Miley was _forced_ to come here every day while you voluntarily came and helped out." Miley looked up at Mr. Platt as something had caught her attention. The way he emphasized forced came out all wrong and something didn't quite fit.

**A/N This chapter officially counts the highest chapter count I have in all my stories. WOHHOOO. And the last chapter got 37 freaking reviews. Woah. Thank you guys that is the highest and another record beaten with this story. You guys have been absolutely amazing in your support. Okay, so that's Platt's secret...Selena never deserved the role. Now Nick's secret will be coming up. And the next chapter is the one everyone has been waiting for...dun dun dun. Opening night and all the drama that comes with it. =D Well, tell me how you guys like it and thanks for all the support last chapter- its making me so freaking excited!**


	17. Chapter 17

Miley pulled up her dress as Lily zipped it up in the back. It was opening and day and Miley's best friend volunteered to help backstage.

The first act was nearing and she could hear Mr. Platt introducing the play on stage. She slipped the curtain open a couple of centimeters to get a good view of the crowd. Her breath hitched. She could see her parents flipping through the pamphlet as they were seated in the front row.

"Awww, Tish and Billy Ray are here," Lily squealed as she hugged Miley from behind. The brunette ruffled the other girl's hair and let out a nervous breath. She quickly closed back the curtain and breathed in.

"I don't think I can do this," Miley added in nervously. She was pacing now. Her shoes were clanking quietly with the black stage floor. She looked to her left and saw the workshop that was still bustling with people.

Everyone had their costumes on and their makeup primped to perfection. Nick was in the corner as his eyes skimmed, at last minute, through his script. He darted over his lines and was nodding as he silently memorized them to himself.

Demi was off to the side, quietly sitting on the bench. Her dress went all the way to her ankles and her hair was softly framed around her, giving her a nice, innocent look. Sterling leaned against her chair and quietly ran some lines with her as she bit her finger nails and softly replied.

Joe was watching her intently as he mixed the last minute paints to color the small props. He picked up his paintbrush and kept his eyes trained on her as she took her nervous breaths.

"Everyone's just as nervous," Lily offered her own share of advice. Miley nodded as she looked at the others who were pacing just like she was. People had glasses of water that they were anxiously gulping down. Everyone had their own little trinkets of good luck that they held as though they were breathing their last moments of life.

"I hope everything will go fine," Miley whispered as she turned around. She heard Mr. Platt speak the last few lines of his practiced speech. The show was about to go on. The lights on the stage faded and everyone scrambled into position.

In the darkness, Miley saw the small wink Nick sent her as he wished her good luck. She felt Lily straightened out her clothes and she felt the energy that everyone on set emitted. It was time. After weeks of practicing and preparing- opening night was finally here.

Miley was quick with her lines. She and Nick met on stage for the Nathan and Adelaide "conversations" and flirted through their lines.

There was one quick moment before the intermission where Miley thought she saw truth in his eyes. He looked at her with so much admiration and care that she thought he might actually…love her.

And then came the scene where Nathan couldn't commit. Nathan and Adelaide had a pending engagement as their wedding had never been set.

And Miley finally saw what had been her problem in real life. Nick couldn't commit to her. As long as he was with Selena, he would never be able to commit to her. Even if she had "seen" that flash of love in his eyes a couple minutes before, he would never be able act on it- as long as he was with Selena. She looked away from him just as her character was supposed to and went into her favorite part of the play- "Adelaide's Lament".

She performed "Adelaide's Lament" just like she had in front of Nick when he first came to her house. She felt the power surge through her as her confidence took over. She sang with a strong voice…and for once she sang what she was feeling. She was tired of waiting for Nick- this situation was growing old.

"From a lack of community property and a feeling she's getting to old- a person can develop a bad, bad cold!" Everyone in the crowd got up and started clapping as Miley sang her final lines. She turned towards Nick and he could tell that this was more than just acting. He met her eyes and she looked at him intently as he looked down with disappointment.

As she turned to leave the scene she heard him whisper, "You're doing amazing." She smiled back at him and turned around. She walked out of the scene as she exited out.

Demi was in the scene now. Miley looked at her friend with pride as she talked with Sterling. They were in their own Sarah and Skye characters. Lily hung onto Miley's shoulder and grinned as Demi acted her way through the scene.

"She's doing a great job," the blonde murmured in awe.

"Yeah, she has everyone on the edge of their seats. And it isn't even the intermission yet," Miley giggled. Demi whipped her head around with attitude. Sterling was at the fake door that was on the edge of the set.

"What the hell kind of Doll are you?" Sterling shouted in frustration. Demi raised her eyebrows and pursed her lips on cue. She glared at him and bit back her anger.

"I'm a mission doll," she shot back as she slammed the door. And that was the end of the first act. The lights shuttered off and the caste scampered into a crowd backstage. Everyone gave each other a tight hug of encouragement.

It was time for costume changes. Miley caught her second costume on the clothing rack. In fact, Selena was the one to hand it to her.

"Thanks," the brunette muttered. Selena gave her an awkward smile and handed the next costume to another person.

"You're doing really well," Selena said softly as Miley turned her back. Miley turned around again and gave the girl a smile.

"Thanks," Miley nodded back in appreciation. Selena nodded and returned back to her previous actions. Miley pulled on the shorter costume as she looked herself in a private changing room. She back in to the backstage area. Everyone was in their places.

Nick looked at Miley as he was leaning against the side of the workshop.

"You know, no matter how many times I see you that costume, I can't get used to it," he murmured as she came closer. She laughed with a sarcastic edge. She pulled the dress down a bit so that it would bare so much knee.

"Act two," Mr. Platt sounded off from the stage. Miley gave Nick a smile as she headed onto the stage. It was time for her more "rowdy" dance of the play. Adelaide is the more outgoing character of the caste and she had bit more "burlesque dancing" scenes.

She could feel Nick's eyes on her as she performed her number. She danced with her dancers and she could also feel the audience staring out on her. Somewhere in between her dance, she realized that the stage was where she was supposed to be.

Miley finished the dance with a smirk on her face and ran through the rest of the act smoothly. Nick stumbled through one of his lines and Miley forgot one of her cues, but otherwise they played the rest of their lines perfectly.

Miley ran out for her final bows and grabbed Nick's hand as they paid their respects to the audience. He smiled at her as the rose up and gave her a hug. The embraced each other as the rest of the caste was celebrating.

Within moments, everyone ran off stage and Miley joined the backstage crowd. She used everyone's celebration as an excuse to slip out and change back into her more comfortable clothes. She made her way through the dark night into Mr. Platt's theater classroom. She shut the door behind her and quickly changed back into her normal clothes. She tossed her hair into a quick ponytail and checked her phone for messages. Her parents had texted her couple of times and Demi and Emily left voicemails.

She made her way towards the door and unlocked it, but before she could step outside, it was opened by someone on the outside.

She was met by an anxious curly haired boy who looked like he had been waiting outside for awhile.

"Hey," she breathed out. He nodded for a second and looked down. Before she could say another word, he swooped in and met his lips with hers. They moved in synch for a couple of moments until Miley's consciousness took over.

She remembered the compliment Selena had given her and that's when she snapped. She pulled away from the kiss and walked past Nick. She let go of the moment because it was wrong. Nick was still dating Selena and Miley couldn't deal with that guilt.

And as she left she hear Nick murmur, "I really like you." And that was the last thing she heard as she bolted to her car and drove off.

**A/N Sorry its been awhile, haha. I was reading. I haven't read in such a long time and so I thought I'd get my interest back...if I started a fantasy book- Percy Jackson. Well, needless to say, I had to read the whole series before I could stop. I wasn't even on aim for the past three days. But here's your update. Four more chapters to goooo. And remember...things may not be what they seem to be...HUGE chapter is prom btw. So needless to say, Nick isn't going with Miley...but will he leave with Miley? Hm...questions I ask you, my readers. Oh btw. We broke another record last chapter with 38 reviews. That's almsot 40, you guys! THANK YOU. Love you, and peace out.  
**


	18. Chapter 18

Miley tugged the strap of her dress as she looked at the full length mirror that was docked in Lily's bedroom. She elegantly wore a one shoulder dress that was jeweled along the top hem of her dress above the royal blue color that ran all the way down to her toes. She glanced at the slide slit of her dress that revealed that matching blue heels she had on.

The clock ticked as Miley gulped down the silence. She held her hair up in a side ponytail and let the curls flatter themselves. She placed her barrette in place and took a final look at her appearance. She turned towards the clock. It was almost around six and the limo was supposed to come at any time, but Miley didn't really feel like going.

"You look fine," Lily groaned as she slipped out of her walk in closet. Lily wore a white strapless gown that ended right above her knees. She kept her pearls on to hold a regal look.

"I don't want to go, Lily," Miley held on to a stern voice. She collapsed on the bed and propped herself up with her two elbows.

"It's senior prom. You're not not going," her friend replied as she put on her final touches. She swiped on some glittery eye shadow and pursed her lips to check her lip gloss. "Hey, are you sure you and Nick aren't going together anymore?"

"Uh, his girlfriend just came back and with that awkward kiss thing…uh, I don't think so," Miley replied curtly. Nick was a subject that she just didn't want to touch at the moment. She hadn't talked to him since opening night…and the kiss. Miley groaned and slung her purse around her shoulders as she heard a car door open. She walked towards the window and tilted the blinds a couple of degrees to see what was outside.

"Limo's here?" Lily guessed as Miley's eyes scanned over the back hummer limo that took its own space on the street. A bunch of kids were already surrounding it.

"I don't even talk to half these people anymore," Miley commented. She perked her head up a bit and saw her old friends dabbling in conversations.

"Yes, but they had spots open in the limo so we didn't have a choice," Lily added in. She stood next to Miley and grabbed her best friend's hand. "And you didn't want to go with Nick's group," she added in sarcastically. Miley glared at her and trudged out of the room. She picked up her dress as she stepped down the stairs.

"They all think I'm a slut," Miley sighed as she tugged on her jacket. Lily rolled her eyes.

"Half those people have had a drunken hookup. The only difference is theirs didn't get plastered through half the school. And Oliver doesn't think that," Lily referred to her date. Miley scoffed as she opened the front door. Oliver was waiting outside with a corsage. Lily met him with a smile.

Flashes set off and Miley stood on the sidelines as everyone took their respective pictures. She watched as everyone laughed and had a good time. Lily looked over at her a couple of times and came over to converse so she wouldn't feel left out but in the end Miley just felt utterly lonely.

In a couple of moments everyone filed into the limo. A couple of people talked to Miley but she gave short answers to limit the conversation. She glanced around at the inside of the car. There were lights that decorated the bottom and the top as they switched from different colors. The stereo was decently loud as it emitted beats of songs. Flashes were still playing around as everyone torched their cameras up high and took a bunch of pictures. Miley was careful not to get in anyone's way. She kept to herself for the most part.

The limo first stopped at California Pizza Kitchen for dinner. Miley's mind glazed through the dinner. They hopped back into the limo and headed to the venue to finally start prom.

The lights were set on dim as they focused on the endless streamers that danced across the air, swirling in the midst of excitement. The food was lined up on tables that were glossed with a sort of expensive table cloth. Miley's eyes scanned the room as she hitched her arm with Lily's. The blonde squeezed her friends arm and released her grip as she clung onto her date.

"You guys can dance. I'll seriously be fine," Miley let her friend know. Lily gave her a hard look as she was making a decision- her eyes clocked from the dance floor to Miley several times. "Really, I'll be fine," Miley reassured her best friend.

"Okay," Lily sighed, linking her arms with Oliver. He gave Miley a small smile as he led his date to the floor. They went into the middle of the crowd and started swaying to the music. Miley let out a low sigh and locked her eyes on the nearest chair. She slumped herself into sitting down and robotically drummed her fingers to the beat of the song.

She caught sight of Demi and Joe entering in. Demi wore a black dress that cut off a couple of inches before her knees. Joe had his hand set politely on the small of her back as he guided her in. They looked happy as he whispered something in her ear. She playfully scoffed at him and slapped him in the arm. Joe faked a wince of pain and then dropped his act as their eyes locked. He smiled sweetly at her and nuzzled his nose against hers. She drew back and laughed.

Miley smiled as she realized her friends were having a good time. She curiously watched as the rest of their group drew in. A couple of her drama friends poured in and actually saw her as the waved gleefully. She smiled as they ran up to her and gave her a hug.

"Is the music this bad that you have to sit down?" Demi joked. She took a seat next to Miley whose eyes were still pretty preoccupied. "They didn't come," she answered for her friend. Miley looked at her in confusion and Demi was about to answer back, but Joe swept her up.

"This is my song," he grinned as he tugged his date towards the dance floor. Demi gave her an apologetic look as she followed the guy towards the floor. He held her back as she swayed into him. They looked completely taken in with each other as they enjoyed their senior prom.

Miley turned towards Ashley and Vanessa, a couple of her theater friends. They were arguing about the name of the song. Miley smiled, but something in her tugged at the end of her conscience. She kept looking around as though she was missing an important detail of this whole scene.

She got up and walked towards the food table. There were a couple of teachers decorated near the punch as they kept an eye on _things_. The last thing Miley needed…ever…was alcohol. She drew the liquid into her cup and took a sip. She was almost too absorbed in her own thought process to hear a vaguely familiar voice.

"Hey Miley," the teacher bubbled from her side. She turned to find Mr. Platt near the table. He had a cupcake in hand as he ate the dessert. He was dressed in a formal shirt and slacks. He looked a little bit less stressed out since opening night- probably because he didn't have much to stress over anymore.

"Hey Platt," Miley replied. She sipped her punch. She had finally gotten to know her teacher pretty well and they were surprisingly on good terms.

"There's something I've been meaning to tell you," he randomly opened up a door towards a conversation. She looked at him curiously as he scrambled to find the right words. "Well, now since this is all over, I think you deserve to know something."

"You're scaring me," Miley joked. He laughed a little bit and licked the frosting off his cupcake. He gulped down the sweetness and focused his attention back on his student.

"Remember when I gave you that detention?" he asked in focus. He looked at her intently as she nodded.

"Yeah…" she trailed, completely unsure of where this conversation was heading. Mr. Platt nodded and continued his part of the conversation.

"Well, it wasn't completely my idea," he confessed. Miley eyed him suspiciously as he looked down towards his black dress shoes. He peered at his reflection and looked up at his student again. "It was Nick's. He thought that this would be a good opportunity for you. He knew you were going through some hard times and he thought that a new crowd would help you out."

"And you agreed," Miley finished his thoughts out for him. He nodded. Miley thought back towards the last couple of months. All this time she was grateful that Mr. Platt had given her a second chance to come back to her old self again, but in reality she had to thank Nick.

"And when you and Selena were trying out for the part. I thought it was fair that she got the part because she wasn't forced to help out on set by Nick's idea. The first day I told people that they would get a little bit of slack on their auditions because they were helping to build the set, but you didn't come voluntarily," he explained.

"I get it," Miley nodded back.

"I felt really guilty that I gave her the part though," he added in. "You deserved it. And you did a wonderful job," he chimed in the last part with a bit of enthusiasm. She nodded and Mr. Platt turned back towards his own peers. Miley sulked in her own thoughts. She had felt revived these last couple of weeks- like she finally found where she belonged. And all along, she had Nick to thank for that. She was too stuck in her own thoughts, but she could hear faint wisps of voices from reality.

"There you are," she heard someone speak- completely breathless. She turned to find Nick decked out in a suit with a matching blue tie.

**A/N Sorry for the late update, but I've been pretty busy. Last week I went to Warped! I saw mayday parade in a live acoustic session so I was pretty stoked. And the day after that I was dragged on a last minute trip to San Fransisco- road trip. I live in LA. -_-. So, I couldn't update and when I came back I had a bunch of things to catch up on. Oh, and I deleted my twitter...so sorry for people who were confused or waiting for a sign that I was going to update. I was going to delete it after I finished my fanfic stories, but I was just getting annoyed and yeah, I had to get off the computer for a bit. So, for people who have a twitter..mind spreading the news that Guys and Dolls was updated? And...WHAT ABOUT THAT BTS IN HARTFORD THING? Haha, I was so teenie spazzed about that and I was about to tweet about it and then I realized I didn't have a twitter...so I was like okay, I'll spazz about it on my next fanfic update! So, let me know what you guys think. And I hope this chapter cleared up the confusion from before. If it makes a little more sense. There's like four more chapters left in this story and two more in Circus (counting the epilogues in both). BTW WE BROKE 400 reviews! 99 more to 500 and i think we can do it. Oh, and 19 more story favorites to beat CAGWYW. We can do this! Aight. Peace out. Hope you liked the update and sorry for the cliffhanger. **


	19. Chapter 19

Miley took a good look at the shimmering blue tie and blinked. Nick tucked his hand behind his neck and awkwardly looked toward the floor. One of them had to speak in order to break the intense silence. They completely zoned out the faint sounds of music that were busting through the doors of the venue. All that was apparent to Miley was Nick and vice versa.

"What are you doing here?" Miley's curiosity got the best of her. Nick locked his hands together and took a deep breath in- he seemed so nervous. She shifted her weight and nodded from him to talk, but he seemed to be engrossed on what to actually say.

"I asked you to prom," he finally answered. He looked up softly and Miley could swear that she actually saw him for the first time- without the sarcasm or the jokes. He looked raw and real. And for the first time, she could actually read his emotions. "Miley?" he tried to break her out of the silent trance that she was holding. She gently shook her head. Her eyes met his and she tried to convey her disappointment. Had he still not figured out why she walked out on him the other night? He had a girlfriend and she did not want to be the _other_ girl. No matter how much she liked him.

"You have a girlfriend," she offered out quickly. Nick's eyebrows furrowed in confusion until he realized that there was an important part that he hadn't told her. He reached out for her hand but she withdrew herself from his touch.

"Selena?" he clarified and she nodded in return. He chuckled and paused for a moment before explaining what had happened. He dug his hands in his pockets and looked at the wall until turning back to look at Miley. "I broke up with her the day she came back." Miley's eyes were suddenly alert- she had not expected him to say that.

"What?" she questioned as felt her emotions rising up and crushing her brain space. Her full concentration was on Nick as she could barely trust what he was saying. He stepped forward and this time Miley didn't retreat. She let him come closer as he slowly slipped his arms around her and gave her a soft, warm hug.

"The day she came back, I told her I couldn't be with her. I was pretty sure I was falling for you," he whispered in her ear as he held her close. Miley could feel herself crumble into his arms. All her defenses were shattered and she was slowly giving into Nick.

"So, the other day, when you kissed me," she mentioned awkwardly- they hadn't talked about the kiss at all. "You weren't cheating on her?" she asked to clear the guilt that had been eating her up for the last couple of days.

"No," he answered almost immediately. "I would never do that to her," he answered even more cautiously. Miley nodded as she thought to herself. She remembered Selena handing over the costume and actually being nice for once- and then she had a question.

"Did you tell Selena about _us?_" The "us" awkwardly stumbled off her tongue because she wasn't quite sure what to refer to them as at that point in time.

"Yeah, I told her the truth," he confessed, slipping his hands deeper into his pockets and rocking back and forth on the heels of his shoes. "She asked me why I chose you over her," he added in randomly. He bit his lip. "And I told her the truth, you are so much more than she could ever be. You aren't selfish and…" he trailed. He wasn't quite sure how to put his emotions into words. It was so much easier when she wasn't in front of him.

"Nick?" Miley asked in confusion. He was rambling and he usually didn't ramble. He usually just had a witty comment to throw at her.

"I told her I'm in love with you. I'm in love with you, Miley," he repeated the phrase twice- as though it would add in more meaning. But it wasn't his voice or his choice of words that gave away his emotions- it was purely his eyes. They were the eyes that Miley couldn't help but look away from. She tossed her head to the side and walked away from him. The intensity of the moment had begun to frighten her, and she had to get away. She picked up her dress and flashed across the room as she dodged out into the night. The clatter of her heels left sounds echoing through the front room of her senior prom. Nick couldn't register that she left and so, he just stood there.

Miley dropped her dress as she hit the cement sidewalk. She slipped out of her shoes and padded her way towards a bench. She draped her dress over seat and sat down, curling up into a ball. She made sure her slit was closed as she brought her knees up to her chest and rocked back and forth on the bench in thought.

Nick had told her that he was in love with her and all she could do was run away. She shut her eyes at that thought and groaned. She heard footsteps behind her and looked back grudgingly, already expecting Nick to be behind her. To her surprise, Mr. Platt was walking towards her.

"Hello," he said in confusion at the tired girl in front of him. Miley sat straight up and nodded. "You aren't supposed to be out here, Miley," he gave her a stern look and looked back towards the doors of the prom venue. Miley just shrugged. "What's wrong?" he prodded on, taking a seat next to her. She was obviously upset.

Miley stared at him blankly for a second and gulped down her emotions. "Nothing," she responded finally. She was debating on whether or not to spill all her thoughts. Mr. Platt crossed his arms and leaned back onto the bench.

"You know not talking about it isn't going to help."

"Nick broke up with Selena because he's in love with me," she let out. The words just came rushing through her before she could even think. It was as though the flood gates just opened. "He said he was in love with me."

Judging by the frightened look on her face, Platt drew his own conclusions. "And that scares you?" he guessed.

"Yeah," she breathed out. She wrapped her fingers to the edge of the bench and silently sat there for a moment. The night was getting a bit darker than it was before and everything seemed eerily silent as though she was going through this huge transformation.

"You know I told you that it was Nick's idea because it was pretty obvious that he had feelings for you," he offered in. Miley looked at him. "And it was obvious you had feelings for him." He waited for a moment before proposing his next idea. "Does it scare you because you might be in love with him too?"

Miley was at a loss for words. The thought dazed her. She looked across the parking lot. The limos were stacked alongside the curbs and the drivers were having good naps. The world was standing still just for a second in time- to let her think and process her emotions.

"I need to go," she stated with confidence. She slipped her shoes back on in a hurry and walked towards the venue. She opened the doors and looked around in the entrance room. She looked at where the food was, but Nick wasn't there. She walked into the dance room and saw a bunch of kids crowded around in various group. There was one a huge blob of kids that were dancing. The music was blaring and Miley could barely hear any of the conversations that were going around. Her eyes caught Demi who was in the middle of the dance floor as she swayed around with Joe.

"Hey, Demi," Miley reached out to her friend as she finally made her way to the floor. Demi stepped out of her circle and followed Miley's lead as they went to a quieter place.

"What's up?" the raven haired girl asked as they finally started to hear the music fading and could make out each other's voices.

"Did you see Nick? He was here and now I can't find him," Miley said anxiously, still holding her gaze around the room in hopes of finding the curly haired boy. Demi's eyes dulled and she rubbed her arm awkwardly.

"He left a couple minutes ago, Mi. He looked pretty down," she said. Miley shot her head up and let the disappointment fade in. She nodded and looked down towards her shoes. Was it too late already? "Miley," Demi reached out and hugged her friend. Miley shook her head and wriggled out of her grip.

"No, I'm chasing after him," she decided and started to scamper towards the door. She blew through the front doors and ran towards the parking lot. She didn't have to run too far, though. She saw a figure perched on a random limo's hood. Nick's tie was loosened and his curls were in more of a mess than ever. His shirt was untucked and he perched his head in his hands as he stared down at his shoes.

As Miley walked closer, she could hear him mumble random things. She could make out her name a couple of times, but his voice was too low and too hoarse for her to be completely sure as to what he was talking to himself about.

"Nick," she mumbled slowly. He shot his head up as he heard her faint voice. Their eyes instantly connected and Miley was at a loss for words. Her heart began to beat faster and her cheeks flushed up in red.

"Hey," he greeted cautiously. She bit her lip and slowly walked up to him. He slid down the hood of the car so that his feet were safely on the ground. She linked their hands together and stood on her tippy toes. She inched her lips closer to his. She met his lips with his and drew her body in closer. He reacted by slipping his hands around her waist. He didn't question her actions. He just slipped his tongue into her mouth and enjoyed the sweet kiss. They stood for moments, their tongues entangled, under the moonlight and in the midst of their senior prom.

**A/N Three more chapters till the end of the story! Okay, sorry for the really late update. It was partially because I couldn't decide on the ending and partially because I had my first college final last Friday. So, if you ever want to know where I stand in updating the next chapter just look on my profile and it'll be in bold when I plan to update or how far I am along with the chapter. I move in on the 15th so I want to get everything finished by then and its almost close. I have like four more chapters to write. (three from here and one from circus) also. 9 more story favorites till this becomes my top story! Thank you guys so much! And, we are at 436 reviews, so close to 500 we can def get it by the next couple of chapters? There were a couple reviews concerning that Nick cheated on Selena...he never did. I never ever planned on him cheating on Selena. And truthfully, I still don't know if Joe and Demi will end up together. I haven't decided. And, and, and...I will for sure finish the story for those of you who are wondering. Graduation is coming up soon!**


	20. Chapter 20

Miley slammed the door shut and bobbed her head to the music as she entered her house after a long day at school. The only thing that made school even worthwhile anymore…was well, that curly haired boy she couldn't take her eyes off of. She subconsciously smiled at the thought and took her ear buds out one by one.

She slipped off her ankle boots and walked into the living room. The couch welcomed her with open arms as she slipped into a light haze as the Los Angeles sun beat into the room. Miley sighed. High school was almost over.

She heard the clatter of footsteps as her mother stampeded into the room.

"Miley," the blonde whispered in excitement. The younger girl groaned and flipped herself over as she buried her head into the coach. "Miley," Tish said a lit bit louder. She walked over to her child and shook her. "Destiny Hope," she said a bit more impatiently this time.

"What," the brunette groaned, tossing her face into view. She put on a grumpy façade and finally saw what her mother was trying to wave into her face- a big, white envelope. Her eyes suddenly swelled as she saw the letters branded on the top of the envelope- UCLA.

"It's a big envelope," Tish supplied the obvious description. Miley scrambled off the couch and her breathing got ragged. She bit her lip and grinned out like a toddler.

"Oh my god, Mom," she squealed. She anxiously grabbed the envelope from her mother's fingers and took out a nervous breath. "I can't believe I got in," she started fiddling with the top and finally broke open the seal. She fished through the various papers until she got to the letter that she desperately wanted to read. "Okay," she drew in a deep breath and shut her eyes before reopening them. Tish gave her a warm smile and she started to pronounce the words on the page out loud. "Dear Miss Stewart, I regret to inform you-," she had a mischievous glint in her eyes.

Tish slapped her quickly in the arm and threw her a glare. "Cut the crap Miley," she warned. "Read the actual words," she said with fake annoyance. Her daughter giggled.

"We're delighted to inform you that the Committee of Admissions has voted to offer you a place in UCLA's class of 2014," she dead panned after she read the sentence and started bouncing with delight. Her mom threw her arms around her as they both celebrated.

"My daughter's going to college. My daughter's going to college," Tish started to do a celebratory dance to her daughter's acceptance letter. "I'm so glad you got in," the mother threw her arms around her daughter one more time and gave a big hug. "Okay, call your dad and your brothers and sisters, we're going to dinner," she squealed before racing upstairs.

Miley took one last look at the letter and swelled up with pride. High school was finally over. She grabbed the telephone quickly and dialed her family's numbers. She told them all the good news and told them the night's plans. Everyone quickly agreed, letting Miley get enough time to get ready.

She almost reached her room but her mom caught her right on time.

"Hey sweetie, why don't you invite Nick over to dinner? This would be a perfect time to meet him," Tish proposed as she put on her set of earrings. Her head was tilted and she looked a bit preoccupied, but genuine.

"I don't even know if he got into UCLA, though," Miley reasoned. Tish straightened her head as both earrings were in.

"Then call him and ask him," she said it like the most obvious solution in the world. Miley rolled her eyes and laughed. "Seriously, invite him to dinner. We would love to meet him," Tish said as she walked slowly back into her own room. Miley took a deep breath and walked into her own headquarters. She grabbed her cell phone and dialed his number.

Luckily for her, he answered within a couple of rings.

"Hey," she sounded almost too enthusiastic. She tried to calm herself down but her happiness seemed to seep through the reception.

"What's up? You sound happy?" Nick replied back with a chuckle. Miley could hear him move around in his own room as he rustled papers off his desk. She heard a squeak as he sat down in his chair.

"I got accepted into UCLA," she replied slowly. "And I was wondering if you got your letter yet?" She bit her lip. It would be perfect if they went to the same school together next year. She knew she was getting too ahead of herself, but something in her told her that she had something really special with Nick. And she didn't want to let it go.

"Yeah, I got the letter today too. Looks like we're the class of 2014," Nick smiled through the phone. Miley's heart skipped and she let out a breath of relief. She was too busy calculating her own future to notice Nick's silence.

"Okay, so my parents want to meet you and I know we're not boyfriend and girlfriend or anything," she noticed her speech was rushed, but she was nervous. This was the night that Nick might be meeting her parents and everything had to go perfectly.

"Miley, slow down," Nick spoke as he tried to digest her words.

"Would you come to dinner tonight? We're eating at the Macaroni Grill," she said a bit slowly. Her mind was still racing though.

"Actually that's perfect. I need to see you right now anyways," he said almost absentmindedly. Miley grinned.

"Okay, see you in an hour then. Alright um, bye," she quickly ended the call and raced to her closet. She was way too excited from today that she was too hyper to notice Nick's tone…there was something quite off about it. She grabbed the yellow sun dress that had been hanging in her closet for months now. She put on some rainbows and did a light touch of makeup. It wasn't a fancy occasion, but she wanted to look nice. Especially because she knew Nick might try a little hard on his clothing choices for tonight.

She grabbed her keys and raced down the steps to meet her mom in the kitchen. Tish was drinking some water as her child came up to her with a smile.

"So, I'm guessing he's coming," she took a random guess as she put her drinking glass in the sink. Miley nodded. The blonde shook her head and followed her daughter's lead out the door. They were going to meet everyone else at the restaurant.

The drive was pretty short. They were the first ones to arrive, but everyone else from the family got there a couple minutes later. The waiter seated them and the only person not at the table was Nick.

"I heard a boy is joining us for dinner," Robby Ray grumbled as he looked through the menu. Tish gave him a nudge in the stomach and everyone chuckled at the table. Miley nervously rolled her eyes at her dad. She really wanted him to like Nick. She was really serious about him and she was sure that her family got that hint.

"Is he going to play with me," Noah asked. She looked up at her sister who gave her a small grin.

"Of course. He has a little brother your age too," Miley informed her. The little girl squealed with delight and Miley smiled. Her older sister shot her a quick text before hiding her phone back into her bag.

_When's the mystery boy getting here?_- Brandi. Miley shrugged and looked towards the door. Nick was usually pretty punctual. He had to be to survive in Mr. Platt's class all these years. She kept eyeing the people that walked in. The waiter delivered their drinks and that was about the time Nick walked into the restaurant.

He had on a plaid shirt that was tucked in and a pair of jeans. He looked like he tried on his appearance. She watched him talk to the girl up front as she pointed her finger in their table's direction. He mumbled something and started walking over to the family. Miley smiled and stood up to give him a hug. He gave her a quick hug and gave Robby Ray a hand shake.

"Hello sir," Nick politely said. He looked around the table as Miley gave the quick introductions. She beamed at him and nodded quietly over to her. She had saved him a seat next to her and he dutifully sat down.

"Hey," she mumbled as everyone was busy ordering. He took in a deep breath and turned to face her. "What's up?" she said suspiciously. Nick bit his lip and was about to say something, but he got a question from someone else instead.

"So, Nick, excited to start at UCLA next year," Tish asked as the waiter started to walk away. Nick bit his lip and looked over at Miley who was slowly starting to catch on that something was wrong.

"I'm actually not going to LA, um, I uh," he looked awkwardly around the table as everyone waited for his response. "I got into Julliard," he finished lamely. He looked at Miley, who was currently speechless.

"That's like in New York," she finally said. He grabbed her hand out of reflex and nodded. "And this is LA," she put the two together.

"Yeah," he mumbled. She looked at him one more last time before taking a deep breath in. They had a lot of things to think over.

**A/N I really wanted to add this part of the story in because...well, that's just reality. I know a lot of couples who have to go to different schools that are sometimes far away. BUT THE STORY ISN'T OVER YET. Haha, there's still graduation and then an epilogue so basically...two more updates left. Awww I'm going to miss you guys. So, good news. I REACHED MY STORY FAVORITES GOAL! Thank you =) And we're 38 reviews away from 500 wohoooo! We can def get it by this chapter or next chapter. I love you guys, aight. PEACE OUT. **


	21. Chapter 21

Miley clutched her purse tightly as she slipped her way in through the gate. The school official gave her a small nod as her white stilettos hit the black pavement. She let her white dress flow past her knees as she strode across the parking lot. There were already a bunch of kids in line, holding their black graduation dresses. Some already had their caps on as they played with their tassels.

"Miley!" Demi squealed, from her own place in line. The raven haired girl had a black halter dress that was complemented with a pair of thick red heeled pumps. Her makeup was a bit more embellished than usual- she showed off her lips with a smear of dark red lip stick.

"Dem," she responded with equal delight. The two girls hugged and separated. Miley took her own place in line with Demi. She could see Selena taking some pictures with their mutual theater friends in the middle of the line.

"Here," Demi dragged up her purse and pulled out a sleek camera. She tilted it and brought her head closer to Miley's. The two girls gave a genuine smile as the flash lit off. Demi turned the screen towards her as the picture processed in front of their eyes.

"My eyes look weird," the brunette scoffed. She held onto a playful scowl.

"They look perfect," she heard a voice murmur behind her. She felt two strong arms, from behind, encircle her waist and tug her body softly. She melted into his grasp unknowingly, even though she was consciously trying to pull away.

"Hey," Demi beamed to the curly haired boy. She raised her camera and snapped a quick picture. Nick's reflexes worked overtime as he snatched the piece of technology away from her.

"You're supposed to warn someone before you do that," he glared at her. Miley stayed silent as she looked at him. He studied the picture and grimaced. "This in no way compares to _her _amazing picture," he gave Miley a playful smirk. She smiled softly at his compliment but didn't respond. She was a bit nervous.

"Come on its graduation, smile," he nudged her. She rolled her eyes lightly and crossed her arms. The sun was beating down at them. Unfortunately, their graduation was scheduled to be dead afternoon. The sun was working overtime and completely promised to give everyone and their mothers a sun burn.

"How can you be so calm?" she asked. The innocent look on his face disappeared as he realized what she was thinking about. He was thinking about it too, but he was trying to avoid the issue. Demi awkwardly stepped back.

"We're officially finished with high school. Weird huh?" the bystander tried to even the mood out. She looked nervously at Nick and Miley who had thankfully quieted down. Miley had a couple of stray tears in her eyes that were barely noticeable.

"Miley!" a soft voice echoed. Selena came rushing forward. She was a good inch shorter than the two other girls because of her black flats. She wore a shimmering silver dress that ended an inch before her knees. She gave a quick smile to Nick.

"Hey Selena," Miley gave her a quick one armed hug. The two had warmed up to each other in the last days of the school year. They were leaving- what was the point of holding onto a feud? Selena matured a bit as she realized that her senior year was ending.

"I love your dress," the girl murmured softly. Miley smiled and returned an equally polite compliment. The line started to move as everyone started to enter the back parking lot to get all ordered for their final high school ceremony. Once they passed the school security everyone tugged on their graduation gowns.

Demi had a little trouble placing her cap on. The tassel came towards the back until Joe helped her out. He chuckled at her ignorance. She blushed and punched him lightly in the arm. Demi had laid down a strict law with Joe. They were just _purely_ friends. It would take a long time until she could give him a chance romantically.

Miley watched their small interaction and thought to herself. Everything was wrapping itself up nicely. She and Selena were on good terms. Demi and Joe were slowly solving their problems and building a solid friendship again. She looked over at Nick who was zipping up his grad gown. He held the cap in his hand as he fixed the tassel. He looked mature as he stood in his dress shoes and his graduation attire.

"Here, let me help you," Miley spoke out, walking towards him. She was one of the first ones to slip her gown over her dress quickly. She had seen all her brothers and sisters graduate that it was second nature for her.

"I know you're upset," he murmured as she placed the cap on him correctly. He looked directly into her eyes. She stared down towards her feet and pursed her lips, waiting in a moment of thought. All of a sudden, she looked up, completely startling him. "What?" he whispered. She ignored him and pushed her lips onto him.

The loud speaker blew out and they separated. The announcer directed them to go to separate places before either one of them could get a proper word out. Nick opened his mouth but Miley had already walked away. She was a little farther behind him because her name started with an "S". He could see her out of the corner of her eye. She was talking with a couple of people but for the most part she was quiet.

The line started to move and they walked towards the football stadium. Everyone walked in pairs as they entered the stadium. Parents were standing on the bleachers taking their own pictures. It took a couple of moments as everyone filed in. Miley was seated after Nick was. She tilted her head so she could see the back of his head.

The announcements all started up. The valedictorian gave her speech and the choir sang. But to the both of them, the place was dead silent. Miley kept her eyes trained on the back of his curly head. He wasn't moving.

The names were called. Miley watched Nick get up and get his diploma. She never felt so nostalgic and proud at the same time. Her heart swelled as he smiled for his picture and walked off. He returned back to his seat and tilted his head to give her a quick, sweet smile. She reassured herself that they were going to be okay. They could work this out. They could stay together.

She had watched Demi walk off too. It was her own turn pretty soon and she could feel his eyes trained on her. She could feel him watch her as she touched her diploma. She was glad that she was sharing such a special moment with someone that was incredibly important to her.

It took forever for everyone to get their diplomas, but finally the whole class had graduated. They tossed their caps in the air and filed out. Miley felt like she rushed through the crowd. She smiled as her parents took snapshots. She hugged her parents and tried to move between the crowd. She never felt so suffocated in her life. There were six hundred kids around her and she couldn't find _him_.

She felt a hand on her shoulder and so she turned around frantically, thinking it was Nick. However, she was disappointed when she saw Demi giving her a hug.

"We graduated!" her friend boasted, throwing her arms around her. Miley gave a hug obligingly but her eyes kept darting around. She was still looking for _him_. But there was no sign of Nick. No mass of curls making her way over to her. She could feel her heart tearing up as she worried herself about their relationship.

"Hey," Joe called out. Everybody but Nick seemed to be showing up. She was getting a bit antsy and impatient by now.

"Hey," Selena chimed in. Now, Miley was getting really annoyed. She tore herself from the group but no one seemed to notice. Everyone was taking pictures. She darted her eyes around the crowd, hoping to find a glimpse of her…well, she really didn't know what he was to her to be honest.

"Miley?" she heard someone's hoarse voice. She turned around at the familiarity of his voice. And she finally sighed with relief as she threw her arms around him. She hugged him tight and he returned the same eagerness. She tilted her head and gave him frantic kisses.

He received them heartily, kissing her back. He held the small of her back as she leaned into him. She was on her tippy toes while he was on his heels. He finally melted all her little kisses into one passionate kiss. He leaned back on the wall and let her take the control that she was frantically searching for. She pulled away out of breath.

"What are we going to do?" she asked the question that they were both dying _not _to think about. He placed his hands on her waist. His breath was ragged. Their foreheads were touching and they were both heavily breathing.

"I don't know," he confessed.

"What's going to happen?" she asked as she closed her eyes. She didn't want to see the truth in his eyes. No one could really tell the future at this point.

"I guess we'll just have to wait and see," he whispered hoarsely. She looked up at him. The moment was setting in on both of them. There was nothing more they could do. But for some reason, both of them felt like everything was going to turn out okay.

**A/N Sorry it took such a long time for an update. I just started college and I had to move in and adjust to the first week and I was just swamped with so much to do. There is an epilogue and that's the last thing to the story. This chapter is stylized to be a bit choppy just because its like very how it is on that day. (At least for me) You're just thinking about so many things and so many thoughts and just get a very final feeling to everything. A chapter of your life is ending. So, I love you guys. Sorry for the long update. I suckk. I know. I just have two more chapters left overall!**


	22. Epilogue

Her hands drummed on the surface of the table as she tilted her head away from the sunlight. She was currently facing the window watching several people pass by the local coffee shop. Truthfully, she was only looking out the window to pass time and ignore the growing knots in her stomach. Nick was supposed to be here by now and Miley was starting to get a bit frantic. What if he showed up with a brand new girl dangling off his arm? She shook her head involuntarily and sullenly looked down at her carefully calculated outfit. She had on a pair of denim cutoffs that showed off her toned legs and a loose white tank top that showed a bit of her black bra. Even though it was winter break, it was a warm day in Los Angles that gave her the freedom to wear whatever she wanted. And what she wanted was a simple outfit that would seem comfortable and yet would subtly catch Nick's attention. She hadn't seen the boy in months and she wanted him to well…want her.

She had her attention focused on the smooth surface of the table and failed to hear the soft footsteps stop behind her chair. She could, however, feel the hot breath against her neck as the person behind her swooped to her level.

"Sorry I'm late," she heard his voice whisper. His soft voice still gave her shivers that ran down her spine. She slowly turned around to face him. His hair was a bit shorter than she last remembered and he didn't look as tired as he did in their last video chat during finals week. The bags under his eyes from countless nights of studying were gone and were replaced by a bit of liveliness.

"Hey," she breathed out- still not over the shock of seeing him in person. Her hands were perched on the back of her chair as she was body was twisted around to see him. Her legs were settled to the side of her chair as her mouth was slightly open. He softly let his hands gaze over her hands as he intently gazed down on her.

"You look great," he said with a small smile. He made a quick move to sit in the chair next to her, still grasping her hand. Her gaze shifted to their only connection and she let out a small smile. He didn't come in with a girl or anything out of the ordinary. He came in _for_ her and he was holding her hand.

"Thanks," she blushed. He scooted his chair a little bit closer to her. "How was the trip back from New York?"

"Good," he said distinctly. He still hadn't taken his eyes off her blue irises. "How've you been?" he stroked her hand a bit gently.

"Good," she deadpanned. She bit her lips trying to prevent the words that were dying to tumble out. She felt the pressure inside her try to build up as she lifted her gaze to meet his. His lips were quivering but his hands were held to a steady point. "Nick," she started. She leaned in closer to him and pulled his arms in so that he was leaning into her too. "What do we do now?" she said, barely above a whisper. He breathed a sigh of relief as he tugged her chair closer to his so that their legs were touching. She looked up at him behind the wisps of her hair.

"I want you so bad," he groaned. "This year has been hell. Not being able to call you mine. This idea was so stupid," he settled in closer to her, wrapping his arm around her waist.

"It wasn't stupid," she murmured. "I didn't know what you wanted to do when you got to New York. Maybe you'd meet some cute actress and I didn't want to tie you down. I wanted you to be with me because you wanted to," she said softly

"Hey," he objected, landing a soft hand on her cheek. He leaned his head onto her forehead. "I love you," he gently kissed her skin. She looked up at him innocently and sighed. "You know that, right?"

"Yeah, but. How can we keep up a relationship on Skype video chats? Sometimes, Nick, it's just really hard. We could barely keep up a friendship when we got so busy with school," she was rambling now. Her thoughts were flustered. He had always had that effect on her-since day one.

"Mi, yeah, things are going to be hard. But what's the point if it's easy?" He was rubbing her thigh to calm her down. "Come on," he tugged her hand. "Let's go outside." She nodded. He could tell that she was holding back a couple of tears. He took her hand and led her out the door. It was her idea to meet at a coffee shop. He had suspected that she thought it would romantic and sort of cliché.

She laid her head onto his shoulder as they made their way onto the sidewalk. His hand was clasped around hers tightly.

"You know the first time I was in love with you?" Nick asked as the neared a nearby park. She tilted her face to see his clearly, but he was looking dead ahead.

"Our first kiss?" she asked, but he shook his head. She crinkled her eyebrows in confusion. That was when she suspected he started to get feelings for her.

"When you first played to role of Adelaide. The scene we practiced and then the audition. You were breathtaking."

"You remember that clearly?" she asked as her pace came to a stop. He turned around to her and smiled sheepishly.

"Yeah. You were amazing. But I was with Selena, and I couldn't be with you," he explained. Miley narrowed in her eyes, sensing there was more to this confession.

"I was so unhappy the whole time. I was marking time in my relationship with her when I could have been happy with you. I don't want to waste another moment, Mi, I want to-"he sighed in frustration as he couldn't fully convey what he was feeling to her.

"Nick," she said gently. She stroked her hand across his cheek and he closed his eyes.

"Screw all this doubt about long distance relationships being hard work. I wasted so much of senior year being with Selena when I was falling for you. I wasted all that time when I could have been with you. I'm not doing that mistake again," his eyes were darkening with passion at this point.

"Nick-"

"And I swear, Miley Ray, if you're too scared of this relationship ending before it even begins," he looked at her. He was at a loss for words now as he fumed up with emotion.

"Nick," she hissed, pulling his head to face her direction. "Listen to me," she demanded. "I don't want to waste time either. How do you think I felt all through first semester?"

"Yeah, but it was your idea to be just friends until winter break and then see what we wanted to do. I don't know if you this, Mi, but a whole semester? It's a damn long time."

"I know!" she was screeching. They were in a secluded part of the park right now. "I wanted to be with you too."

"Then screw it all. Screw the fear. Screw it all," he stepped closer to her. She was quiet now and he took it as acceptance. He grabbed her by the neck and pulled her in to him as his lips came crashing down onto hers. She immediately kissed him back. He pushed her against a nearby tree and pressed his body onto hers. His tongue immediately begged for access and she gave into him.

"Okay, we can do this," she untangled herself from his kiss. "We can make it work," she said more to herself than him.

"We can," he urged.

"Adelaide and Nathan made it work. So can we. Love conquers all," she reassured herself. He nodded. She looked into his eyes. He leaned in to kiss her again and she chuckled.

"What?" he groaned. Her eyebrows arched up.

"You're such a guy," she teased as she went up to finish the kiss he was leaning in for.

"Well, you're such a doll," he smirked. She rolled her eyes and kissed him. He wrapped his arms around her and they both settled into each other, enjoying their kiss to the fullest.

**A/N So a lot of the overlapping theme (just to kind of make it obvious as I leave the story) is two things the saints and the sinners are the same and love conquers all. The whole story encompasses the saints and the sinners theme as Miley and Joe are the sinners but they're in the end still accepted by Demi and Nick, the saints. Like, they've obviously sinned, but they're not bad people. Love conquers all shows up in this epilogue as Nick and Miley face long distance head on. This story isn't supposed to be like Guys and Dolls but it discusses some of the same things the play has in mind. I hope you enjoyed it. Sorry it took me such a long time to write the epilogue. I hope it lived up to anyone's expectations and you are all truly great readers. I'm almost finished with my fanfiction career. I just need to update Circus and I'm done. I've miss you guys! Its nice to be back for a couple of updates. **


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